The odds are that you have seen a tablet by now.  They are small, thin and very good at moving you around the web.  They also have a fun touch screen that for many users is a more natural way to use the system.

Tablets come in all shapes and sizes with a wide range of operating systems, you have a lot of hot options out there.  They have become so popular that they have had a 100% increases in the number of people who have bought a tablet. That means a lot of people are tooling around with a brand new tablet in their hands.

So what does all of this increase in the use of tablets mean for the average user?  Well, right away probably not much immediately, but there are a few trends that you should be on the look out for in the near future.

More Mobile Sites

As you move onto your tablet you may find that a number of sites are not designed for mobile, or at least not well designed, for mobile use on the web.  As more and more tablet users come onto the market more of your favorite sites and blogs will be set up with the minimalism of mobile design in mind.  Of course if you’re not on a tablet you may feel like the sites for mobile are a bit sparse on your bigger screens.

More Secure Mobile Payments

If you are worried about the number of mobile payments that go through without the proper security on one end or another than you may find you are going to have less and less to worry about, as long as the number of mobile payments continue to go up.

While the Wi-Fi network at your local coffee shop or your favorite chain restaurant will never be 100% safe, and you are still going to run a fair amount of risks with your personal data security if you use them, more mobile security and better mobile security will come as mobile users demand it for online shopping and data sharing.  Since these things will most likely be tacked onto the current security measures you already know, you will most likely not be very inconvenienced by this change.  In fact you may not really ever notice this innovation at all as it rolls in, since it has already begun.

So now you can enjoy your tablet knowing that you are also helping to move technology forward, at least a little.

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When you figure that YouTube, the online video giant, is arguably one of the largest communities online when you come to interesting question. Could the company, with the might of Google behind it, possibly replace standard television?

At first glance him and I’ve sound like much of a real threat. After all 2 min. video of a panda cuddling a kitten can’t possibly replace an hour-long TV show, no matter how cute that panda may be. Or can it?

In the early days of YouTube on all the content was user generated the odds are it didn’t stand much of a chance against standard television programming. These days many shows, and even full-length movies can be found on the site, and that gives a serious advantage over TV. It has all the excitement of on demand, where you don’t have to be tethered to a specific schedule in order to watch your favorite show, and it also has something that more and more people are looking for in the current economy: it’s free.

Take a look at the current rates a cable TV or satellite package can cost you $80-$100 each month, at least if you want the premium channels, the idea of getting on your TV for free wherever  there is a Wi-Fi zone it is really quite appealing one.

Of course, some companies have recognized the appeal and are attempting to pair up with online video providers in order to keep their audience. Sites like Hulu, which is to be entirely free, have now given providers like dish network the right to allow the users view content first. The site is also moved to a freemium model where certain number of videos are free but the rest just for people who pay a monthly subscription fee. While this may be a sound business decision, the existence of YouTube believe many people wondering why they should pay for what they can get for free.

Then comes the big one, self-expression. Watching TV is on the whole passive experience. Will you have a lunch or stop from time to time mostly you’re just watching, most of us never be a part of the action. I’m set like YouTube and only watch videos, contract of people commentary and make your own as well. That is people sense of community and allows them to be more part process, which many end-users like.

So will you tube usurped TV? Probably not right away but overtime of providers are not careful it could happen.

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All the rage right now is Cloud computing – where shared resources, software, and information is stored and accessible through the internet as a service, rather than a product. The upside is users do not have to buy expensive software, and put up with installation, maintenance, or upgrade hassles.

Two of the big name players in the space right now are Box and Dropbox.

What You Need to Know

Dropbox is a Cloud or web-based file hosting service where users can securely store and share files and folders with others across the internet. It offers customers a range of products, from free to a pay-per-month or pay-per-year plan for larger amounts of data.

Box also is an online file sharing system that provides content management services, and different storage levels, from free to more expensive options.

The Basics

Dropbox pricing for two gigabytes of online storage is free, then ramps up to 50 gigs for $99 a year, 100 gigs for $200 a year. Enterprise-level customers who need more storage and services for their team will spend $795 a year for five people. The company offers a simple online storage model that starts with a user creating an account, then installing the desktop client on their computer or other digital devices, like smartphones and tablet computers. Once a user creates or updates a file on their local Dropbox folder, the same file appears in their online Dropbox account. The process works in reverse, too: A file stored online at Dropbox is automatically synched with the same file on the user’s computer.

Box offers the same basic storage model. A user creates an account, downloads and installs the application on their computer, laptop, or mobile device, and goes from there. Online storage for 5 gigabytes is free; 25 gigs is $9.99 a month, and 50 gigs is $19.99 a month. Small business users pay $15 a month (with two free months on annual renewals) for 1000 gigabytes of storage accessible by up to 500 users. Enterprise-level users have more storage options, but need to call for details.

While both offer the same basic options with free or monthly plans, file and folder sharing, and collaboration tools, personal users get more right off the bat with Box – 5 gigabytes for free. In a cost conscious world, this may be the biggest deciding factor for people just getting their toes wet with online storage. For simplicity, though, Dropbox has a slight edge, especially with automatic file and folder synchronization. That feature has to be turned on by Box users before it will work.

Which is better? It is likely a draw, with users encouraged to try both before making a decision.

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A lot of businesses are moving their storage to the cloud. Now, when your boss decides to move all of your HR data to the cloud you have a limited number of options, but when it comes to your personal media buying you do have a choice. Should you choose a cloud-based service for your media, such as Amazon, or should you choose a media option that relies on you to download? Today, we are going to explore the good and the bad of storing on the cloud.

Storage is Out of Your Hands

When it comes to the cloud the good, and the bad, news is that the storage is completely out of your hands. You do not have to worry about having a sufficient amount of external storage, or just room on your iPod, to keep your music and that is a good thing if you have a large music collection and not a large budget for storing it on site. The bad news is that if, for any reason, you cannot access the cloud you will not have access to any of your songs.  So be aware that unless you spend a lot of time in a Wi-Fi zone, or you have access to an unlimited 3G (or 4G) wireless data plan then you may want to consider at least a partial download option.

Reduced Costs

Storing on the cloud reduces the costs, since you do not have to buy the biggest model of MP3 player for your music, and that can be a substantial cost savings. In some cases it can actually also reduce your costs for media. That is good news for kids, students or anyone else on a budget.

No Backing Up
When your music is stored on the cloud you will never have to worry about backing up your music again. If you have ever found your computer crashed and all of your data missing you will know the frustration of losing data that cannot be brought back. At the very least when you store data on the cloud you will always have access to your songs, no matter how infected, or destroyed your system may become.

So, is storage on the cloud right for you?  That depends on who you are. If you can get past the notable issue of always having Internet access then there is no reason not to go for it. If however you don’t live in a city or have an unlimited 3G plan then you may want to skip it for the time being.

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The holiday season was a pretty remarkable one for Apple which sold over 37 Million iPhone, helped by the release of iPhone 4S and over 15 million iPads.  Apple sales had exceed companies projects along with Analysts projects.

Speaking at the earnings call, Jobs’ replacement Tim Cook was quick to heap praise on the progress of the fruit company during the last three months:

We’re thrilled with our outstanding results and record-breaking sales of iPhones, iPads and Macs . . Apple’s momentum is incredibly strong, and we have some amazing new products in the pipeline.

By new products, he’s likely pointing to the imminent iPad 3 release, with the device rumored to be hitting stores in March and boasting Retina display amongst a few other notable improvements. Another possible new product is the Apple Television.

“We are very happy to have generated over $17.5 billion in cash flow from operations during the December quarter,” said Peter Oppenheimer, Apple’s CFO. “Looking ahead to the second fiscal quarter of 2012, which will span 13 weeks, we expect revenue of about $32.5 billion and we expect diluted earnings per share of about $8.50.”

To wrap up the whole call in simple figures, here’s the breakdown; Apple made $46.33 billion in revenue, 37.04 million iPhones were sold, 15.43 million iPads have been sold and last but bot the least; 5.2 million Macs were sold! Now those are pretty impressive numbers to drool over! Another number to drool over, the $97 Billion dollars that they have in the bank!

(source Apple)

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The launch of Windows 8 is still a little bit away, but the company was nice enough to release a demo of the operating system for those folks who are interested in sneaking a peek at the future of Windows. Today, we are going to talk about what is new in the upcoming OS. That way you can decide if you want to get in at the Beta level or hold out until your hardware has caught up to all of the innovations that the software is offering.

 Touch Screens and Live Tiles

The Windows 8 OS will be optimized for the touch screen and designed to work with the same tiles system that you have on the current generation of the Windows phone. While this will allow users to open up multiple apps quickly and easily, but for people who feel overwhelmed by that setup it could be a less of a convenience and more of a distraction.

The Apps Store for Windows

The new operating system will come with a new app store for the PC. Admittedly Microsoft is late to the market with this one, being behind both Apple and Google, and they do not have the best history with late to market products, but the convenience may be enough to entice end users to buy the apps this way.

Existing Software

If you are like most users one of the biggest things that you worry about with your operating system upgrades is what will happen to your current software. After all, one Adobe sweet could cost your upwards of $800 and upgrading only to find out it is not operational anymore would be more than annoying.

Is it worth it for you?

Well, that really depends. If you are one of the rare users who are rocking a Windows tablet then you will definitely want to upgrade your system to get the benefits of an operating system designed for touch screens. If however you have a desktop or a laptop that is not touch compatible then you may want to hold off. After all, you could just waste hard drive space for features that you cannot use at the current moment.

Right now we do not have an official release date, but it is slated to come out sometime this year. So those of you who are ready to upgrade right away will not have to wait too long to get what you want.

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In February, Microsoft is slated to release a beta version of its app store, an offering that is surprisingly similar to the well-established app stores made by both Apple and Android.  While it may offer users a measure of convenience there are a few issues surrounding its release that need to be examined before we can decide if it is likely to be a rousing success or another too-late-to-market failure.

Dealing with Payment Processing, sans Gift Cards

With the Mac app store users have two choices, pay by credit card or with the balance from an iTunes account, but then Apple had a solid foundation to build from.  Since it is unlikely that Microsoft will go to the trouble of setting up an international prepaid card system this will give users only one option, expose personal financial data.  While the fact that some vetting of apps is sure to happen, unlike the Android app store, this will no doubt deter both people who are worried about online privacy and those who worry about over spending.

Access to Software

While this option will give consumers more access to software, one is forced to wonder if this will have the same impact for PC users that it did for Mac users?

After all, the software for PC’s is a lot more common. You can visit any local Wal-Mart or Target and get software for a Windows-based computer. Mac users had it much harder before the App store came along, since for the majority of users the nearest Apple store was a significant distance.

Developers Perspective

The only major advantage to the Microsoft App Store may be the benefit to the developers, who will have more revenue options. With the Mac App store the developers split their app sales revenue with Apple at a 70 to 30 ratio. That same revenue system will be preserved for Windows apps, but the company is offering them the option of in app sales as well, which can be significant revenue for a developer. Currently, there is no word as to whether or not that revenue must be split as well, but this may be enough to entice developers working under the freemuim model to work with Windows.

Though, to be honest given the success of the iDevices many developers in the mobile market may have no choice but to work with Apple, since that is where the majority of the customers are.

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According to reports, Apple’s manufacturing partners have begun production of the iPad 3 in preparation for a March debut. As with all Apple rumors, divining what is planned in Cupertino is like playing darts blindfolded. Even so, since much of this report comes via Bloomberg, it’s hard not to put a bit more stock in it.

Features

Bloomberg’s sources cite a number of features that should help the iPad stay ahead of its competitors, specifically a quad-core processor, improved display and LTE network support.

Although some may be surprised at the thought of the iPad receiving LTE support before the iPhone, it actually makes a lot of sense. Apple’s phones have always been praised for their long battery life and thin designs. Given how relatively young LTE technology is, the size and power consumption of the technology has been cited as the reason for its absence from the iPhone. Apple would rather work with tried and true 3G technology then risk a negative consumer experience just to be on the cutting edge. With the iPad, however, Apple could offer the cutting edge without making compromises, thanks to the tablet’s larger size and battery.

The quad-core processor will be a welcome upgrade, especially for the increasing number of individuals using an iPad as their primary device. Although the tablet is certainly no slouch in the performance department, the new processor will help the tablet maintain its lead and no doubt spur a whole new round of cutting edge games and multimedia applications. According to Bloomberg’s sources, the iPad 3 will be able to open and start playing videos almost instantaneously.

The rumor that should come as no surprise is the improved display. Ever since Apple touted the Retina Display on the iPhone 4, an equally impressive display has been top on the list of things many people want in the next generation iPad. If the reports are to be believed, the iPad 3 shouldn’t disappoint. The new display will have more pixels than some high-definition televisions, while the pixels will be small enough to make the onscreen images look like printed material.

 Production

One of Bloomberg’s sources said that production is now running 24 hours a day in Foxconn’s factories. Although production will halt over China’s Lunar New Year holiday, it will pick back up in February.

Although Apple still maintains a dominant lead in the burgeoning tablet market, recent competitors like the Kindle Fire have no doubt caught Apple’s attention and reinforced the need to out-innovate the competition. If Bloomberg’s report is true, the iPad 3 should help Apple not only maintain their lead, but once again raise the bar.

References:

Bloomberg; Apple Is Said to Ready iPad 3 With Sharper Screen, LTE Access; Tim Culpan, Peter Burrows and Adam Satariano: January 13, 2012

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In the world of iPhone modification, “jailbreaking” and “unlocking” are often used interchangeably, even though they have quite different meanings. Although either process poses inherent risks, and may void your Apple warranty, knowing what each term means can help you make the right choice for your individual needs.

Unlocking

Unlocking your iPhone allows it to operate on multiple carriers, in addition to the carrier it was originally designed for. There are many reasons why unlocking may be desirable, even necessary. Switching to another carrier, traveling overseas, increasing the value of the phone for resell and using an iPhone on an “unsupported” carrier are just a few reasons to unlock.

As of this writing, there are a number of software and hardware hacks available to facilitate the unlock. As of late 2011, there is even a method to unlock an iPhone 4S requiring no software or hacks of any kind.

Jailbreaking

Although jailbreaking sometimes includes unlocking, it goes far beyond simple unlocking, actually modifying the behavior of the iPhones operating system (iOS). This can be an appealing option for those who want features and abilities that iOS does not natively provide. Even though iOS 5 helped close the feature gap, and in some cases eliminate the need to jailbreak to achieve a given feature, there are still many things Apple is unlikely to ever officially support. Unsanctioned tethering, third-party (as in not from the Apple App Store) applications, game console emulation software, free turn-by-turn GPS, native file management, video recording on older devices and Bluetooth file transfer are just a sampling of the features available on jailbroken iPhones.

Legality

Although, in the past, these procedures may have been legally questionable, the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA) was recently modified to grant an exemption for the practice of bypassing digital protections for the purpose of installing unapproved software, otherwise known as jailbreaking. While this is still a far cry from an Apple approved solution, at least the DMCA cannot be used to prosecute an individual solely for modifying their phone.

Risks

Just because modifying your iPhone may be legal does not mean it is entirely free from risk. By it’s very nature, unlocking and jailbreaking are modifying the iPhone’s software to work in a way Apple, and certainly the carrier, may not have intended. Although much progress has been made to enable these modifications to be implemented more safely, there is always an inherent risk. Always back up your iPhone before attempting either of these modifications.

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What is Dropbox?

Dropbox is a web-based file hosting service that lets users securely store and share files and folders with others across the internet, using file synchronization to make sure that a source file — stored on your desktop hard drive, laptop or other device — and the version stored on Dropbox are always the same.

How it Works

Using Dropbox is simple if you follow these steps:

1. Go to the website and create an account.
2. Download the desktop client.
3. Install the desktop client to your computer, laptop, or mobile device.
4. To test how it works, copy some files from another location on your hard drive to the new Dropbox folder, then log into your account and you will see the same files are now in your online Dropbox folder.

Features

• Two gigabytes of free storage, plus an extra 250 megabytes of space – up to eight gigs – for you and every person who joins and installs Dropbox through your referral.
• If you make a change to a file in your local Dropbox folder – the one on your computer or other device – that file also is updated in your online folder. Or, if you make a change to an online file, the version on your computer or other device is automatically updated.
• To share files with non-Dropbox users, move files to your Public folder, then select Copy Public Link from the dropdown menu. Dropbox creates a unique link to that file, which you can paste into an email and send to whomever you want. Anyone you share the link with can view the file, but no others. If you want to share a folder with other Dropbix users, simply add them by hovering over the file, then selecting Invite to Folder from the dropdown menu. A dialogue box will open where you can enter the email addresses and a message to whomever you want to share the folder with.
• You also can use Dropbox with iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, or Android device.
  

  Pricing

• You also can use Dropbox with iPhone, iPad, Blackberry, or Android device.
• Dropbox gives every user two gigs of free space, with the opportunity to gain up eight through referrals.
• 50 gigabytes of storage is available for $9.99 a month, or $99 a year if you pay all at once.
• Dropbox charges $20 a month or $200 a year for 100 gigabytes of storage.
• Larger storage options are available for teams starting with five users for $795 a year.

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