Mobile

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.

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.

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.

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 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.

Microsoft held an event in NYC to launch the Surface 2 and Brian was live-blogging. The full video of the launch is available to view online as are advertisements that show off the tablets' versatility. Microsoft is pinning a lot on the updated product after the first generation suffered from poor sales. There were no great new features, but there is a redesigned kickstand, a healthy speed boost, new dock and updated covers -- Brian was particularly impressed by the Blades.

Anyone buying a Surface 2 or Surface Pro 2 earns themselves a SkyDrive upgrade. Purchase a new device and your online storage gets upgraded to 200GB, but the same amount of space is available for $100 per year. Moving away from Surface-related news, Microsoft turned its guns on Google Docs, highlighting user complaints to demonstrate the superiority of Office 365.

Windows 8 started out on shaky legs, but Microsoft's flagship platform found firmer footing during the lucrative back-to-school buying season, foreshadowing Santa could deliver gifts, rather than coal, this holiday season.

"Touch appears to be coming into its own as a core feature in the Windows ecosystem", Stephen Baker, NPD's vice president of industry analysis, tells me today. The analyst firm released new U.S. retail data showing two bright spots among otherwise tepid sales. "Chromebooks and Windows touch helped offset what could have been much steeper declines this back-to-school season", he says.

Not to call out my parents, but neither is online -- they do not own a computer or tablet and, only last week, my mom was rather forcefully pushed into the smartphone world thanks to an aging flip phone. I can at least partially forgive them -- they are not young and these new-fangled gadgets lose them, though others in the same age bracket seem to have moved along with the times.

At any rate, the couple is not alone according to a new report announced by Pew Research. A full 15-percent of Americans are offline and, of those, 94-percent plan to stay that way.

At an event in New York, Microsoft reveals the successor to the Surface RT and Surface Pro -- the predictably named Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2 (interesting to note that the "RT" is gone from the former's name) -- and Brian Fagioli was live-blogging from the event. So what do we have to look forward to from the product refresh?

The first generation Surface tablets suffered poor sales and came in for criticism from many quarters, so there is certainly room for improvement.

When I bought the first-generation iPad in 2010, I intended to use it for taking notes in college classes. Unfortunately, the iPad didn't come with an office suite and Microsoft's was not available. And so, I was forced to try a bunch of alternatives. Ultimately, I found one that stood out among the rest -- Quickoffice. I found it to be complete and a pleasure to use.

While my iPad is long gone, Quickoffice has followed me to Android with great results. However, Google bought my beloved Quickoffice in June 2012 and I became very nervous. My concern was that the software development would cease under Google's leadership. I am happy to say that my concerns were for naught -- Google announces today that QuickOffice has been updated and is now free.

As the market gears up for the new iPhone, research from analysts Forrester and mobile engagement company OpenMarket offers some insight into the struggles companies are having to incorporate the use of mobile devices into their business models.

The study of 167 enterprises in the USA, commissioned by OpenMarket, examines how in the era of smartphones, tablets and BYOD, organizations are adapting to the widespread shift to mobile -- both internally and among their customers. It found that 74 percent of businesses surveyed regard mobile as a priority, however, their IT departments are struggling to build and manage mobile solutions using their existing skills and technologies.

Mobile technology moves pretty fast these days. Think back ten years and things were very different. Most people had basic mobile phones with physical button keypads, and despite Microsoft’s attempts to bring tablets to the masses it was Apple launching the iPad in 2010 that finally made it happen.

The past decade has seen some amazing innovations, and changed the face of business. According to a 2013 AT&T Technology Poll, 98 percent of small businesses use wireless or mobile technology in their daily operations and 66 percent of small businesses have stated that it would be a major challenge to operate their business without such technology.

For me, virtually any trip out of the house means loading up on various pieces of tech. I, obviously, cannot leave the house without my phone -- my trusty HTC Sensation has been with me for two years -- but there are usually other things to consider as well. While my phone is great for picking up my emails on the move and staying in touch with people via IM, Facebook etc, it’s far from ideal for doing any work.

Depending on where I’m going, and how strong I’m feeling, there are various other pieces of kit I can take with me to make things easier. My Sony Tablet S is easier to type on than my phone, thanks mainly to its larger screen, but it’s not something I like to use for extended periods of time. I could take my laptop with me, or the MacBook Pro, which are great to work on, but rather weighty to hump from place to place.

The Texas-based marketing platform for small businesses Main Street Hub is introducing HubSites. These provide a mobile-friendly landing page to act as a link to a company's main site.

Features include a prominent click-to-call button, the ability to capture testimonials, Google Maps integration, a real-time Twitter feed and more.

Adopting Windows Phone 8, and ditching Android, was one of the most daring decisions that I have ever made in my entire tech life. I am the sort of person who does not warm up to major changes (not my strong suit), especially ones that involve transitioning between two polarizing mobile platforms. But, surprisingly, I gave up the flexibility and versatility of the green droid operating system for the glanceable information and simplicity of Windows Phone. Admittedly, it was not smooth sailing from day one.

The problem is that, in order to fully adjust to the change, something has got to give, namely features that I consider to be essential for a modern-day smartphone operating system. For some they may not matter as much, but others -- like me, and maybe you -- are likely to be left wanting for more. And, no, I am not talking about widgets, themes, root or Instagram (it, however, seems to be the tech media's favorite blaming toy even though there are good third-party alternatives), but rather more down-to-earth, mundane ones.