Develop enterprise mobile apps in record time with built.io
With the increasing trend towards using mobile devices in the workplace, IT departments sometimes struggle to keep up with demand from their users. As we've seen elsewhere, this can lead to employees using unauthorized software.
Companies interested in speeding up the build time for mobile apps will want to take a look at San Francisco-based raw engineering’s built.io product which comes out of beta and is generally available from today.
Financial professionals use unauthorized apps to access company data
The increasing popularity of BYOD brings a number of challenges for IT departments, not least of which is ensuring that files are handled in an approved and secure way. The problem is that users don’t often see things the same way. A new survey by Workshare shows that 65 percent of mobile users at financial institutions are using file sharing apps that aren't approved by their IT departments.
Only 55 percent were using unauthorized apps to work on documents outside the office in 2012, but the figures are even more worrying when you take into account that 89 percent of financial professionals are now using their own devices for work -- up a mere 3 percent from last year. The report also shows that 78 percent of these workers are using free file sharing services like Dropbox and SkyDrive to access and store corporate documents.
Q&A about sales CRM software Pipedrive
Cloud, cloud, cloud. This is a word that is prevalent when describing modern services, and one that we hear all too often nowadays. The premise is simple: move stuff somewhere you cannot control and leave it to someone (or some company) to do the backend work for you. For CRM software this approach appears to be ideal, as both the developing companies and their clients seem to embrace it.
CRM software used to be associated with on-premise solutions, but this approach has failed to integrate well into the new computing landscape where mobile devices are used increasingly around the office and on the go. A mobile-friendly philosophy is key. I chatted with Pipedrive, a company that makes cloud-based CRM software, about how it leverages the cloud and what the benefits are for its 30,000 users.
Three in four UK homes now has access to superfast broadband
UK telecoms regulator Ofcom's annual Infrastructure Report update published today shows that 73 percent of premises are now able to receive superfast broadband, up from 65 percent last year.
Ofcom defines "superfast" as networks delivering download speeds of at least 30 Mbit/s, typically delivered using fiber optic cabling. Around 22 percent of connections now fall into this category with some 4.8 million consumers now having superfast connections, more than doubling last year's 2.1 million figure.
Mobile strategy becomes a priority for business
Mobile phones are almost as important as PCs for engaging with customers according to the results of a survey released by enterprise mobile specialist OpenMarket.
The study of 167 business leaders in the USA carried out by Forrester Consulting showed that 74 percent now think that mobiles are an important channel for customers, partners and employees, as against 79 percent for PCs.
Microsoft brings Windows to Android and iOS phones and tablets
Microsoft's big release of the day may be Windows 8.1, but it doesn't end there. The desktop operating system may have stolen the headlines today, but Microsoft also recognizes the importance of mobile devices. The company is not only concerned with its own devices, realizing that Apple and Android still dominate the mobile arena. But this does not mean that mobile users do not need access to Windows PCs -- hence the release of Microsoft Remote Desktop for iOS and Android.
The prospect of running Windows on an Android or iOS device may be a little way off yet, but it can be achieved via remote access -- which has the handy side effects of making it possible to access files, apps and anything else that might be needed whilst away from your computer. There is no shortage of remote desktop apps in the App Store, but Microsoft's offering aims to keep things simple. As you would expect, this is an app -- free of course -- that can be used to control a Windows PC from an iPhone, iPad, iPod touch or Android device.
Is Windows Phone 8's Update 3 really worth it?
We're fairly certain that Windows Phone 8.1 is not too far off, but in the meantime we're left to content ourselves with the updates that trickle out for the OS from time to time. Update 3, previously known as GDR 3, has been released, and my colleague Mihaita has taken a look at how to get it installed and what you can expect to find when you do.
It was known in advance that this was going to be a relatively minor update, but I'm the kind of person who greets an update to any operating system with an almost childlike excitement. The moment I was able to do so, the download was under way and my Nokia Lumia 928 was receiving the update treatment. Here follows my reaction to Windows Phone 8 Update 3. To avoid any possible confusion, this is absolutely my opinion; this is about my experience, my feelings, my reaction. As writers are wont to say, "your mileage may vary".
Mainframe2 runs super-powerful Windows apps in the cloud
My friend Nikola Bozinovic (say that three times fast) is a very sharp software developer originally from Serbia who has, over the years, worked for most of the usual suspect American software companies. He is also the guy who restored from a grotty old VHS tape my film Steve Jobs — The Lost Interview. And as of this week he’s the CEO of Mainframe2, an exciting startup strutting its stuff at the DEMO conference in Santa Clara.
Mainframe2 claims it can put almost any Windows application into the cloud, making apps usable from any device that can run a web browser supporting html5. We’re talking Photoshop and AutoCAD on your iPad. This is a big deal.
At what age should children be allowed to use the internet?
The internet is an amazing tool, especially for children looking to learn. It is essentially the world's biggest library available 24 hours a day, seven days a week. But the web also has a darker side, and parents have to ask themselves the question "when is the right time to let my child go online?" Or, as Director of Online Safety at Microsoft, Kim Sanchez puts it "How old is too young to go online?".
This is a far more complicated problem than it used to be. It is not all that long ago that the average household had no more than one computer, which may not have been connected to the internet. Now, however, we live in a time when households could have multiple computers. There might still be one shared "family" computer, but it is also very common for children to have their own computer or laptop. There are also phones and tablets to think of. Pester power is an incredible thing, and it’s a strong parent who is able to resist giving into demands for a tablets when "all my friends have one".
Acer announces the C720 Haswell Chromebook
The technology community is abuzz with excitement over the next-generation of Chromebooks. Yesterday, my colleague Joe Wilcox reviewed the sexy $279 Chromebook 11 by Hewlett-Packard. Sadly, while HP's Chromebook looks great, it is very much under-powered. After all, the specs are the same as last year's Samsung model -- ARM processor and a paltry 2GB of RAM.
Today, Acer announces the C720 which undercuts the HP variant in price and trumps it in specifications.
New Wi-Fi hotspot locator for professionals on the move
Leading provider of enterprise mobile services iPass has launched its new iPass Hotspot Finder. The browser-based tool has a completely redesigned user interface and includes several features that help business travelers make informed decisions about hotspot connectivity.
Hotspot Finder doesn't need an iPass account, provides access to over 1.4 million hotspots in the iPass network and can be used from any browser for free.
New tablet family and updated laptops from Dell emphasize connectivity and sharing
Fresh from investor approval of a buyout by its founder, Dell has announced a new family of tablets and an updated range of XPS laptops. The Venue tablet range comprises four ultra thin models designed to deliver class-leading performance and quality with compact designs to help people stay in touch whilst on the move.
The Dell Venue tablets are available in Windows and Android versions. The lightweight Dell Venue 8 Pro runs Windows 8.1, has a bright HD IPS display, advanced connectivity options and provides long battery life. Office 2013 Home & Student is included with the device and there's the option of Dell Active Stylus.
MyIT makes it easier for companies to embrace BYOD
Demand from employees to use mobile devices with different operating systems and applications is the bane of IT managers' lives at the moment. BMC Software aims to ease the burden with its latest version of MyIT. Featuring major new OS expansions and a new HTML 5 universal client to support mobile, desktop and laptop devices, MyIT 1.5 delivers single-point access to a variety of company resources from any device.
We looked at the MyIT app back in June at which time it was only available for iOS devices. The new version delivers native Android support, a wide array of new self-service features, enhanced language support, and fast and convenient integration with BMC AppZone for enterprise app store access.
Just how much trust can you put in benchmarks? Is Samsung tricking us?
Benchmarks are important. The quoted figures for any piece of hardware are all well and good, but potential buyers need to know how a hard drive, processors, computer, tablet or smartphone really performs. After all, two processors with a clock speed of 3GHz do not necessarily perform equally well, and it is only through testing that it is possible to determine which one comes out on top. Few people have the means to go out and compare two similar pieces of hardware, so this is where benchmarks prove useful.
People use smartphones and tablets for different things. One person might be happy being able to take notes and make phone calls, while someone else might be looking for a 60fps hi-def gaming experience. Here benchmarks matter. It is important to be able to accurately compare devices using reliable figures. If you want to know how quickly phone A shifts pixels around the screen compared to phone B, it is important that the tests are performed in the same way, and are carried out fairly.
IBM acquires The Now Factory to extend its big data portfolio
IBM has announced that it's reached an agreement to acquire The Now Factory, a Dublin-based provider of analytics software that helps communications service providers (CSPs) deliver better customer experiences and drive new revenue opportunities.
Using The Now Factory’s software, CSPs can gain real-time insights into their customers by analyzing massive quantities of network and business data. With this type of insight they can provide an enhanced quality of service by better managing negative experiences and network outages.
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