Archive for the 'Internet' Category
As both speculated last week and earlier reported that Exchange support was on its way by SvenOnTech, Apple has announced and demonstrated full support for Microsoft’s Direct-Push for Exchange server. Live from Building 4 on the Apple Campus, Phil Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Product Marketing, created a new calendar event on a Mac in the room and added a new contact to boot. Within seconds, his iPhone had the updated information without any interaction from him.
No changes have been made to the iPhone’s easy to use Contacts or E-mail client. It’s all built into the iPhone firmware that will actively handle the Direct-Push. Apple has licensed ActiveSync from Microsoft to make all this “magic” happen right on the iPhone. Full Calendar, Contacts, and E-mail support is on the iPhone for Microsoft Exchange Direct-Push. Both Nike and Disney have been testing the Direct-Push feature internally and have had much success with it. The enterprise is now supported on the iPhone.
Users will have full ability to toggle on or off Exchange push for calendar, contacts, and e-mail right on the iPhone itself.
Other concerns from large companies has been data theft from stolen or misplaced iPhones. Apple now gives the ability to remotely wipe all data on the phone if such misfortune strikes an iPhone user. Cisco VPN, certificates and identities, WPA2/ 802.1x, and security policies round out the corporate enterprise wish list.
All these and the other reported updates (full third-party application support) will be available on iPhone firmware 2.0. All iPhone users will get the update for free and iPod touch users will have to pay a small upgrade fee for it. The SDK along with 2.0 beta goes out to developers today and the final release will be available at about the one year anniversary of the iPhone in “June”. So look for it just before Independence Day. 
SvenOnTech told you about reQall back in January and how great of a service we thought it was. Now reQall has just announced some new features, just hours before Apple plans to show off it’s SDK. New in 2.0 is the ability to give users the ability to remind themselves of pending tasks through their cell phone, SMS, IM, email, or through the web. A trigger, as reQall terms it, can be set for one or all of these methods. Users can even get their friends or family involved by sharing out lists and allowing them to delegate the trigger.
If you’re wondering how you could use reQall, here’s what we were told in its press announcement:
· Simply dial reQall’s toll-free number and say “buy Easter gifts before 5pm today.”
· The message will immediately be converted into text and delivered in whatever way you specify.
· The reminders can be sent as an email, added to your calendar, as a text message, via instant messaging, automatically added to your to-do list or sent to a friend or family member.
We think you’ll love reQall and if you haven’t signed up yet, then do it now. It’s as easy as calling 1-888-9REQALL (1-888-973-7255).
Oregan Networks, an embedded Internet technology company, has announced the imminent availability and key innovation concepts of its Oregan Media Browser 4.0. The release addresses the main challenges of TV-centric Internet on mainstream non-PC consumer electronics: namely the speed of applications and ease of media access, with primary focus on audiovisual content consumption use cases.
With the new version of its software, Oregan introduces the concept of integrated media search via its ‘intelligent’ cross-platform TV browser, which extends the notion of browsing beyond the traditional information-centric and Internet-based search. Integrated search enables TV viewers to have immediate access to desired content via a single TV screen application that reaches multimedia and associated metadata from multiple sources, including broadcast Electronic Program Guide data, content stored on home PCs and NAS devices, recorded broadcast libraries, personal mobile devices and on-demand Internet video. Behind the scenes, Oregan’s media player framework gathers information about media files, such as content description and media type, then subsequently controls playback of the selected audiovisual content. The feature can be applied by service operators and CE vendors in a controlled walled-garden environment, with predefined content sources, filters and recommendations in line with user profiles and parental guidance restrictions.
Private demonstrations of Oregan’s vision at the Consumer Electronics Show 2008 featured a television program guide as the ultimate content aggregation, search and browsing application, which made multi-source entertainment available to the user via a single TV user interface powered by HTML and AJAX (Asynchronous JavaScript and XML) standards.
Oregan Media Browser 4.0 is designed as an open client-side platform for delivery of premium and user-generated content on resource-constrained CE devices, which aims to consolidate Internet content brands and CE manufacturers behind a cross-platform, standards-based approach to implementation of any-time content services. In an effort to simplify product design and collaboration of brands, Oregan continues its initiative in building partnerships with leading Internet content aggregation and services companies in US, Europe and APAC.
Mark G Perry, Oregan’s CEO said, ‘Browsing on TV evokes a healthy degree of scepticism, raising the question of desirability of browsing from the sofa, in the so-called 10-foot User Interface environment. Oregan Media Browser 4.0 is the Internet access technology that aims to eliminate usability and speed snags of Internet on TV and give a powerful reason to cable, satellite, mobile network operators and CE brands alike to weave Internet services into their future service offerings. This product is significant in the history of Internet on TV as it changes the dynamics of Internet browsing by zooming into programming delivery and media search capabilities. Instead of being confined to the information medium – it becomes the domain of entertainment, finding its way into living rooms and delivering instant user gratification.’
Oregan Media Browser is based on leading industry standards, including W3C and CEA -2014 guidelines, for browsing and streaming of digital media, making it the network entertainment access application that meets the needs of all stakeholders within the content delivery value chain, including web interface developers, content aggregation services and device manufacturers.
The living room devices demonstrated by Oregan at CES 2008, included connected TVs, Broadcast and IP Set Top Boxes, Digital Media Adapters and Hybrid Media Gateways. The company plans to announce a complete list of features and offer evaluation versions of Oregan Media Browser 4.0 in Q2-2008.
GyPSii, the world’s leading geo-location and social networking service provider for mobile phones and Internet devices, is now available on the iPhone - Apple’s market-leading high-end mobile device. The iPhone has shipped more than five million units worldwide since its launch in 2007.
The new web-based GyPSii iPhone application integrates its multiple services into a single interface, making it easy for users to enjoy a wide range of new and exciting location-based features and services, along with social networking - all using the fluid, intuitive touch-screen user interface of the iPhone.
GyPSii also confirmed that it would produce a “native” version of its application using Apple’s Software Developer Kit (SDK) which is scheduled to be launched later this week, providing seamless access for all Apple users, from the desktop, to the iPhone.
GyPSii CEO, Dan Harple, said he didn’t want iPhone users who were keen social networkers to have to wait any longer for the only social networking platform specifically designed for location-enabled mobile phones to be available for their handset.
“We’ll work with the SDK as soon as it becomes available,” he said, “and then we will be uniquely offering both web and native versions of our application for iPhone users.”
GyPSii is taking advantage of its extensible product architecture enabling use of technologies (like Apple’s Safari) to make its advanced, geo-location features possible on the iPhone. In supporting these advances in web technology, GyPSii delivers an optimal location-based experience on a mobile device, or on a desktop computer, or even via a set-top box.
Some of the new GyPSii for iPhone features enabled include: Read the rest of this entry »
You always here about those sweet homes, cars, and watches and all that other stuff the crooks have. And, we always hear about how the badge will auction that stuff at pennies to a dollar after Sonny and Crocket have nabbed the bad guys. But where does one find such deals? PropertyRoom.com is one such place and it has just added 93 new agencies to its site so the bounty is now even greater! SvenOnTech was told that, ” Auctions on PropertyRoom.com include stolen and found property recovered by law enforcement agencies as well as municipal surplus. Auctions cover practically every category, from laptops, iPods, tools, and cameras to watches, jewelry, and designer handbags. Increasingly, auctions also include seized and surplus cars, trucks and heavy equipment.”
Much like eBay, auctions start at the 99 cents point and price is driven up by bidders looking for a great deal. Some items have reserves while others don’t. Unlike eBay, each deal is backed by the badge and is guaranteed against fraud.
So next time you’re looking for a cheap Lambo and a Rolex, take a look at PropertyRoom.com.
Symantec Corp (Nasdaq: SYMC), makers of
Norton security software, today released the first volume of the Norton
Online Living Report (NOLR) revealing that, more than ever, adults and
children around the world are getting emotionally and socially connected
online - including dating, friendship and playing - as well as for
information and communication. The NOLR, undertaken by Harris
Interactive, revealed some startling statistics about how Internet-Age
technologies have affected families across the world.
Up to half of online adults worldwide and up to 40 per cent of online
children worldwide have made friends on line, with 72 per cent of
responding UK adults having translated at least one online friend to an
offline friend. In the UK, 43 per cent of online adults and 26 per cent
of children enjoy their online relationships as much or more than their
offline friendships. This indicates a major shift in how people relate
to one other and provides potential clues for the future of human
interaction.
Another common theme worldwide reveals that parents’ perception of what
their children are doing online does not reflect the reality of what
their children say they are doing. For example, one in five responding
children admit to conducting activities online that they know their
parents would not approve of with 24 per cent of UK online children
spending tenfold or more time online than their parents think they do.
The survey revealed that 72 per cent of responding parents in the UK are
concerned about their children’s activities online, with 25 per cent
having no idea about what their children are doing on the internet.
This can have shocking consequences: Five times as many children online
in the UK have been approached by a stranger online than their parents
believe. In UK, adults believe that four per cent of children have been
approached online by a stranger. The actual per cent reported by UK
online children is 20.
This story sits a little close to home as I have been personally been installing T-Mobile HotSpots for nearly two years nearing 200 stores installed in Northern California in that time period. With Starbucks’ announcement yesterday (and I had an install for Sacramento called off minutes before pulling into the Starbucks parking lot), AT&T customers have much to benefit starting this spring. Those with AT&T broadband services will have unlimited Internet service at any of 7,000 Starbucks stores. Starbucks Card holders will receive 2 hours a day free with an option to purchase a “session” for $3.99. Unfortunately the statement does not explicitly state if AT&T cellular (formally Cingular) customers will obtain free or discounted Wi-Fi access. The statement did say, “AT&T will soon extend the benefits of Wi-Fi at Starbucks to its wireless customers.” Hopefully that means smartphone users, i.e. iPhone. If you do not fit any of the above described users, than you can pay $19.99 per month and have access to an additional 70,000 other hotspots world-wide.
Analysts are a bit surprised as to why Starbucks has left T-Mobile for its Wi-Fi access but having spoken to many “partners” (Starbucks terminology for employees) myself, it’s obvious why T-Mobile lost a great contract. The number one complaint I heard from partners was why did customers have to pay for the access? The second major complaint was that partners also had to pay for the access. Now both of these complaints are answered with the AT&T deal with more than 100,000 partners and, again, all AT&T broadband customers receiving unlimited free Internet access. Chris Bruzzo, chief technology officer of Starbucks Coffee Company, echos this in his statement released Monday, saying, “This is what our customers have been waiting for — free Starbucks-quality Wi-Fi.”
What does this mean for iPhone users? Outside of the unclear statement for free Wi-Fi access, it does open a world of possibilities for Apple’s smartphone holders. AT&T has provided point-of-sale systems for Starbucks for ten years and now with a public Internet connection in all Starbucks’ locations by year-end, it will make for a perfect synergy to let Apple exploit its already golden relationship with Starbucks. Apple’s free iTunes use at many locations today could expand to the ability to order a Latte or pound of Komodo without even being in the store. Based on Starbucks statement of “comprehensive communications agreement”, it’s easy to see Apple adding the capability to iPhones and Wi-Fi enabled iPods to make an order without having to walk up to the register. The user would simply make payment via their iTunes account and walk over to the Barista and pick up their drink. What market potential for both Apple and Starbucks to offer its customers. This would aid Apple in future sales and help Starbucks increase traffic to its stores. With T-Mobile, a competing carrier of AT&T, this would have been a bit difficult for Apple to work out. Now, it seems it’s just a matter of sending Steve Jobs down to San Antonio and speaking to some of the brass at AT&T corporate.
Other incentives for iPhone and iPod users could come from this deal with AT&T and Starbucks which may not make Apple’s rumored five year exclusive contract with AT&T so bad after all.
Billed as the site, “All things Apple. Past, present and future,” ThoughtDifferent.com chronociles the past of Apple.com as far back as July 1997. Unlike the Way Back Machine (Internet Archive), ThoughtDifferent seems to be a bit heavier in complete pages of Apple’s past site. Presented in the Cover Flow format, you’ll be able to go back month by month (if available) and then a single click brings up the page (an image) with history to it on the left side. The oldest page in the archive from July 1997 tells us that, “The earliest homepage found shows how radical the new design was. In 1997 this style (and still is) was a standard layout for a page. Cluttered with text and information and graphically not too pleasing on the eye.” It still amazes me how bad web pages looked back then…and I thought they were cutting edge at the time!
You can look at this page and remember that OS X once wasn’t the big news, but rather Mac OS 8 (and its “Platinum” look) was. Also found on the page is Newton’s Internet Enabler 2.0 giving Newton users access to Ethernet.
Boston still had Macworld in the summer, Mars was saying hello to NASA’s Sojourner and Apple was showing of QuickTime VR of the planet, and you could win a PowerBook 3400/200. Oh, don’t forget about Apple’s eMate, either. Aaah, memories…
If you’re looking for the easiest way to find music on your iPhone outside of iTunes that includes things Apple’s music store won’t have, then you will need to go to Seeqpod. With Seeqpod, you can enter anything you’re looking for and up it’ll come in a list which allows you to play each found track. For those using this site often, you can now add it as a Webclip, the new feature in the iPhone 1.1.3 update that lets you put a bookmark right on your home screen, on your iPhone. Thoughtfully, Seeqpod has also created a nice icon for your Webclip per Apple’s standards located at the iPhone Dev Center at apple.com.
So get searching and add that Webclip to your iPhone (or iTouch) today!
Alltel Wireless, America’s largest network, today announced that it is the first U.S-based carrier to offer small business customers SalesNOW®, a contact, activity and deal management software designed for the BlackBerry® and the Web. SalesNOW utilizes the functionality of the BlackBerry to provide customers with the ability to manage their sales data in the palm of their hands.
With the SalesNOW application, professionals can track and manage their contacts, deals, activities and e-mails as well as access and share information with their entire sales team. Customers can perform these activities on their BlackBerry or on the Web through an individual, secure SalesNOW account. Changes the user makes within SalesNOW on the BlackBerry are automatically synced to SalesNOW on the Web and vice versa. The application also allows sales teams to provide up-to-date information on sales activity, view and print weekly activity reports, collaborate on team forecasts, track sale details and next steps on business deals.
Additionally, SalesNOW enhances administrative time management and productivity by giving users the ability to update graphical reports and dashboards, which allows professionals to focus on building quality customer relationships.
“SalesNOW allows our small business customers to better manage their workload no matter where they are,” said David Maddox, director of advanced data solutions for Alltel Wireless. “This innovative solution is the ultimate sales tool for the mobile professional and demonstrates Alltel’s commitment to deliver the most beneficial business applications available today.”
The software is available for $25 per month for individual users or $40 per month for enterprise users with qualifying smart choice data plan on all Alltel Wireless BlackBerry smartphones. For more information, or to purchase SalesNOW and subscribe to the service, visit www.alltelsolutions.com or consult with an Alltel Business Representative by calling 888-4AT-BIZZ.
On alltelsolutions.com, business customers can find an array of solutions to fit every business need. Alltel recently launched several products to assist its customers in their daily tasks, including Alltel WiFi, an easy-to-use solution that instantly provides customers with laptop access to thousands of hotspots, and TimecardGPS, an application that enables users to track employee locations, record shift time and capture job or work order information.
Alltel also offers its business customers with smartphone devices “smart choice packs” a special rate plan, which provides national voice minutes with an unlimited data plan and features such as “My Circle,” an industry-defining feature giving customers on varying calling plans the freedom of unlimited calling to and from five, 10 or 20 numbers on any network for free.