So on Wednesday, June 27th, Google announced it's Nexus 7 tablet...something on their end to get in and fight against the Kindle and Nook units. Revealed at the end of their I/O Conference, the Nexus 7 is the first unit to have their newest Android operating system, Jelly Bean (4.1), as well as being the first unit to ship with the Chrome browser pre-installed.
This looks to be great for Google, and their partner Asus (who designed the hardware)...because this unit will stand out in that market easily. Why? Cores. That little 7inch tablet has 16 cores in it. Those cores include: Nvidia’s quad-core 1.3GHz Tegra 3 CPU and its 12-core GeForce GPU. The Nexus will match the price of the Kindle Fire at $199 as well.
OOOOOOOH...I smell new kid on the block fight!
I'm no fan of the Android OS...too much malware for me in too short of a time...but I'd pick this device over the Kindle or Nook ANY day. :)
Thursday, June 28, 2012
Wednesday, June 27, 2012
Apple vs. Samsung - Round 2: Legal Smackdown
This just in...
(I've always wanted to type that.)
Looks like Apple got what they wanted in their lawsuit against Samsung for infringing their patent on the iPad. (You know, the device that existed long before in design before Apple made it a reality...thank you Star Trek.) The patent revolves around the design of the device and how it is similar to Apple's iPad. The courts originally told Apple no, but the court of appeals said otherwise, granting them a preliminary injunction (sales ban) against Samsung's Galaxy 10.1 and has pretty much forced this to a trial by jury.
Originally, Samsung countered this in Germany and other places by designing the Galaxy 10.1 N, which looks a little different than their standard model. LOOKS. This isn't about the system itself of what the product does...Apple has stated that they're concerned that Samsung is pushing "cheap knockoffs" that look like their product into the market. My opinion? Horsehockey. Samsung is a competitor, Apple is sue-happy (much like Microsoft used to be), and Apple doesn't like competition...from Google, Samsung, Microsoft or anyone else. Other such knockoffs exist, and I'm sure Apple will find a way to go after Microsoft in the future for something to do with the soon-to-release Surface.
Like I said above, this is going to a trial by jury, so that'll be the proving ground. It'll be interesting to see how this will pan out for all parties involved. Maybe Apple needs to sue Paramount for reruns of Star Trek that have their pads in them too...they look awful similar. ;)
Lastly, before the Apple-fanboys get on here and flame me, let me say this. I own Apple products, but I am allowed an opinion on their tactics in the free market...which are poor and heavy handed when they don't need to be.
(I've always wanted to type that.)
Looks like Apple got what they wanted in their lawsuit against Samsung for infringing their patent on the iPad. (You know, the device that existed long before in design before Apple made it a reality...thank you Star Trek.) The patent revolves around the design of the device and how it is similar to Apple's iPad. The courts originally told Apple no, but the court of appeals said otherwise, granting them a preliminary injunction (sales ban) against Samsung's Galaxy 10.1 and has pretty much forced this to a trial by jury.
Originally, Samsung countered this in Germany and other places by designing the Galaxy 10.1 N, which looks a little different than their standard model. LOOKS. This isn't about the system itself of what the product does...Apple has stated that they're concerned that Samsung is pushing "cheap knockoffs" that look like their product into the market. My opinion? Horsehockey. Samsung is a competitor, Apple is sue-happy (much like Microsoft used to be), and Apple doesn't like competition...from Google, Samsung, Microsoft or anyone else. Other such knockoffs exist, and I'm sure Apple will find a way to go after Microsoft in the future for something to do with the soon-to-release Surface.
Like I said above, this is going to a trial by jury, so that'll be the proving ground. It'll be interesting to see how this will pan out for all parties involved. Maybe Apple needs to sue Paramount for reruns of Star Trek that have their pads in them too...they look awful similar. ;)
Lastly, before the Apple-fanboys get on here and flame me, let me say this. I own Apple products, but I am allowed an opinion on their tactics in the free market...which are poor and heavy handed when they don't need to be.
Friday, June 22, 2012
Optimizing an SMB backup & DR strategy
Howdy folks!
Here's an interesting webinar being proffered by my friends over at DataRobotics. Going over your backup & disaster recovery plan is a great thing to do every year (especially here in earthquake country)...and this webinar with the Drobo folks and Scott Baker from Symantec should merit a listen.
If you haven't looked at Drobo's products lately, by all means you should. All the protections of RAID without the hassle, as well as using whatever drives you have lying around...not the same expensive set of drives. Take a look at their solutions and if you have questions, let us know.
We WANT to help you. :)
Here's an interesting webinar being proffered by my friends over at DataRobotics. Going over your backup & disaster recovery plan is a great thing to do every year (especially here in earthquake country)...and this webinar with the Drobo folks and Scott Baker from Symantec should merit a listen.
If you haven't looked at Drobo's products lately, by all means you should. All the protections of RAID without the hassle, as well as using whatever drives you have lying around...not the same expensive set of drives. Take a look at their solutions and if you have questions, let us know.
We WANT to help you. :)
Friday News Blurb
Happy Friday everyone!
I apologize for the scarcity of posts lately...my month has been rather busy with planning to be on vacation for 2 weeks. For those of you who've worked in sales or understand what I do every day, you can imagine the amount of planning to be gone for more than a few days at a time. However, thanks to my team here, I know I'm covered.
Today is hopefully the start of a news sharing program that I wanted to get going awhile back...where I'm going to hand out links to other places (who sometimes write better than I) for exclusives and the like. For example...
Leaks on Microsoft's Xbox 720. - While I can't host the images, these guys are for whatever limited time they can. Looks pretty cool, eh? :)
And this great article from Andrew Nusca over at CNet on Hardware Backlash. Something that I feel daily.
This interview with Neil McDonald of Gartner over on Networkworld.com - about how network virtualization will change how security controls work. I'm a smart guy, but things like this remind me I'm a small fish in a big pool.
That's a starter. Do you folks like to know what I read? Give me feedback please!
Lastly...I'll say it again...I have 64gb iPad 2 models for $489. Brand spankin' new. Buy from me and get a free Targus iPad case...not like you can get that price anywhere else. :)
Have a wonderful Friday!
I apologize for the scarcity of posts lately...my month has been rather busy with planning to be on vacation for 2 weeks. For those of you who've worked in sales or understand what I do every day, you can imagine the amount of planning to be gone for more than a few days at a time. However, thanks to my team here, I know I'm covered.
Today is hopefully the start of a news sharing program that I wanted to get going awhile back...where I'm going to hand out links to other places (who sometimes write better than I) for exclusives and the like. For example...
Leaks on Microsoft's Xbox 720. - While I can't host the images, these guys are for whatever limited time they can. Looks pretty cool, eh? :)
And this great article from Andrew Nusca over at CNet on Hardware Backlash. Something that I feel daily.
This interview with Neil McDonald of Gartner over on Networkworld.com - about how network virtualization will change how security controls work. I'm a smart guy, but things like this remind me I'm a small fish in a big pool.
That's a starter. Do you folks like to know what I read? Give me feedback please!
Lastly...I'll say it again...I have 64gb iPad 2 models for $489. Brand spankin' new. Buy from me and get a free Targus iPad case...not like you can get that price anywhere else. :)
Have a wonderful Friday!
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Coming to the Surface
As many of you know, Microsoft unveiled their own tablet on Monday here in Los Angeles. The Surface is designed to show off the wonders of Windows 8, and be a player in the tablet world. This is a far cry from the tablet PC first introduced by Bill Gates back in 2002, and in this case shows a lot of promise. Take a look at their promo video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpzu3HM2CIo&feature=player_embedded
There's no mistake, I'm a fan of Windows 8. I'm using the release candidate on my home computer, I own an Xbox 360 (mmm metro), and I own a Windows phone...so I'm doing my best to not be biased here. If Microsoft is smart about the Surface, and they can bring it in just under Apple's price for their basic iPad model (Did I mention we have a 64gb iPad 2 on sale for $489?), that will help their sales and make things easier on folks like us to sell their product. The pro version and its specs should push it up to the $1000 range...but that might just be worth it.
You can see from the video, there's an attachable keyboard/cover for the unit, which is rather nice. The colors are silly in my opinion, but then I always prefer basic black for my electronics. Looking at their specs, they're plenty good to me. The windows RT version (basic) has a 10.6" screen, 9.3 mm thick, just over 1 pound, micro sd, usb 2.0, and comes in 32 & 64gb versions. The Pro version however is a bit heavier at just shy of 2 lbs & 13.5mm thick, but handled microSDXC, USB 3.0, and comes in 64gb & 128gb versions. If you want those ports and a higher diskspace, you're going to have to pay in weight. Simple as that.
The case is something special. Called Vapor-Mg (pronounced "Vapor-Mag"), it is finished magnesium, which can be molded down to .65mm thick (which is thinner than a business or credit card). Not only that, but it's more rigid than brushed aluminum. With Apple moving to "liquidmetal" supposedly with the next iPhone (which should drive the price up), Vapor-Mg will give Microsoft a perfect counterpoint.
So I know you're all asking...when is it coming out? Well, based on the release date of Windows RT (used in the basic version of the Surface), which is slated for October, that should be the primary date. The Pro version is slated to release 3 months later in January. Can anyone say, Late Christmas Present? :D
Thoughts as always are welcome. :)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dpzu3HM2CIo&feature=player_embedded
There's no mistake, I'm a fan of Windows 8. I'm using the release candidate on my home computer, I own an Xbox 360 (mmm metro), and I own a Windows phone...so I'm doing my best to not be biased here. If Microsoft is smart about the Surface, and they can bring it in just under Apple's price for their basic iPad model (Did I mention we have a 64gb iPad 2 on sale for $489?), that will help their sales and make things easier on folks like us to sell their product. The pro version and its specs should push it up to the $1000 range...but that might just be worth it.
You can see from the video, there's an attachable keyboard/cover for the unit, which is rather nice. The colors are silly in my opinion, but then I always prefer basic black for my electronics. Looking at their specs, they're plenty good to me. The windows RT version (basic) has a 10.6" screen, 9.3 mm thick, just over 1 pound, micro sd, usb 2.0, and comes in 32 & 64gb versions. The Pro version however is a bit heavier at just shy of 2 lbs & 13.5mm thick, but handled microSDXC, USB 3.0, and comes in 64gb & 128gb versions. If you want those ports and a higher diskspace, you're going to have to pay in weight. Simple as that.
The case is something special. Called Vapor-Mg (pronounced "Vapor-Mag"), it is finished magnesium, which can be molded down to .65mm thick (which is thinner than a business or credit card). Not only that, but it's more rigid than brushed aluminum. With Apple moving to "liquidmetal" supposedly with the next iPhone (which should drive the price up), Vapor-Mg will give Microsoft a perfect counterpoint.
So I know you're all asking...when is it coming out? Well, based on the release date of Windows RT (used in the basic version of the Surface), which is slated for October, that should be the primary date. The Pro version is slated to release 3 months later in January. Can anyone say, Late Christmas Present? :D
Thoughts as always are welcome. :)
Thursday, June 14, 2012
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This is only for customers, I wish I could enter!
Monday, June 11, 2012
Where oh where has my Start menu gone...
Oh where oh where can it be, Windows 8?
Talk about moving someone's cheese right? After all of these years of tapping the start button to find thing and launch programs, in Windows 8...it's gone. POOF. Nada. Zilch. While this doesn't bother me like it does some people who can't accept change at all...and seriously it's starting to sound like someone needs to let the red swingline stapler go.
Is the learning curve a little bit higher than normal on Windows 8? Yes. Is it higher than OSX from Apple? Heck no, it's still Windows for the same folks who always use it. Heck, like I said before, if you have multiple screens, it's a great piece of software already...and will likely continue to be when it releases.
There's a good article over at Computerworld.com about what's good and bad about Windows 8. Although throughout my running of Windows 8, I've had ZERO issues at all (knock on wood), and none of the ones he describes. Mashable.com has an even more in-depth review. It really comes down to the machine you're running it on...and if you're up to date (within the past year), it'll be a smokin' experience.
Tell me I'm right or I'm wrong. I want to hear it from all of you.
Best wishes for Monday!
Talk about moving someone's cheese right? After all of these years of tapping the start button to find thing and launch programs, in Windows 8...it's gone. POOF. Nada. Zilch. While this doesn't bother me like it does some people who can't accept change at all...and seriously it's starting to sound like someone needs to let the red swingline stapler go.
Is the learning curve a little bit higher than normal on Windows 8? Yes. Is it higher than OSX from Apple? Heck no, it's still Windows for the same folks who always use it. Heck, like I said before, if you have multiple screens, it's a great piece of software already...and will likely continue to be when it releases.
There's a good article over at Computerworld.com about what's good and bad about Windows 8. Although throughout my running of Windows 8, I've had ZERO issues at all (knock on wood), and none of the ones he describes. Mashable.com has an even more in-depth review. It really comes down to the machine you're running it on...and if you're up to date (within the past year), it'll be a smokin' experience.
Tell me I'm right or I'm wrong. I want to hear it from all of you.
Best wishes for Monday!
Wednesday, June 6, 2012
LinkedIn's broken password chain
(Thank you Steve Richardson at Digital Dynamics for this)
I know this isn't the standard cool IT stuff that you should know & care about...but it's something worth noting. Looks like according to LinkedIn's own page and twitter feed, that they were hacked this week, losing over 600,000 encrypted passwords....of which maybe a third were cracked.
So if you're on LinkedIn, change your password. The spam is starting to erupt there already.
In the meantime, I'm running a contest. If you sign up for a free webex 14 day trial, I'll put you in a raffle to win a $5 starbucks gift card (or a $5 gift card somewhere). But you need to contact me for the link and I'll put your name in the raffle.
Click here to contact me. :)
I know this isn't the standard cool IT stuff that you should know & care about...but it's something worth noting. Looks like according to LinkedIn's own page and twitter feed, that they were hacked this week, losing over 600,000 encrypted passwords....of which maybe a third were cracked.
So if you're on LinkedIn, change your password. The spam is starting to erupt there already.
In the meantime, I'm running a contest. If you sign up for a free webex 14 day trial, I'll put you in a raffle to win a $5 starbucks gift card (or a $5 gift card somewhere). But you need to contact me for the link and I'll put your name in the raffle.
Click here to contact me. :)
Monday, June 4, 2012
Virtual Stacking (from my friends at the Meraki blog)
Great little topic here from Lawrence Huang and my good friends over at Meraki. I really hope y'all take this to heart because this is what you'll be hearing about over the next couple years...best to get in on the ground floor before you have to take the stairs! :)
You can see the original post here.
You can see the original post here.
Windows 8....pretty cool
I always enjoy when a bit of work can invade my weekend in a good way. It's usually pretty rare, from meeting a client at Disneyland to hang out for a bit...to friends the world over treating me like I'm the Sherlock of computers & information technology. (Really I'm not. :) ) I say this, because this weekend I took the plunge and installed the release copy of Windows 8 on my primary PC at home.
Some of you are now screaming, "MIKE!?!!? Not on your primary PC!" I know, I know...but I had a gut feeling, and that feeling as it turns out wasn't wrong at all. Since I had all of Saturday morning to myself, I did the install and setup with ease...and went to town. Now, maybe because I'm a Windows Phone user, and an Xbox 360 player, Windows 8 came naturally, but it made for a fun weekend experience on my PC.
The apps are nice and simple, keeping up with the live tiles format of Windows Phone and Xbox's Metro setup. There's plenty to work with currently, and I expect a lot more to come at launch. The feel reminds me of how Chrome currently is, and I expect a lot of apps will quickly follow the release. On a note for businesses, this format is actually pretty easy to use for any Windows user...so if you want to bring it into your office, the transition might not be as bad as you think.
Just so you know, Windows 8 doesn't replace Windows 7...it's more like it's an added layer. You control the Metro Start page with the Windows key, and with two screens, it's even easier to manage. (The fact that the taskbar is on both screens is fantastic!) The only confusing part was how to exit an application, but because Windows 8 operates on a different path than we're used to, that's why it was confusing at the outset. Once an app goes dormant, by switching out to the start screen, the Task Manager "freezes" the app, and closes it after a short time.
I think this is worth your time to check out. So if you have an extra PC lying around with at least a gig processor and 1gb ram...go for it and check it out. Me, I'm STILL waiting for a beta or release for Windows RT, so I can get this on my HP Touchpad! :)
Make it a great week!
Some of you are now screaming, "MIKE!?!!? Not on your primary PC!" I know, I know...but I had a gut feeling, and that feeling as it turns out wasn't wrong at all. Since I had all of Saturday morning to myself, I did the install and setup with ease...and went to town. Now, maybe because I'm a Windows Phone user, and an Xbox 360 player, Windows 8 came naturally, but it made for a fun weekend experience on my PC.
The apps are nice and simple, keeping up with the live tiles format of Windows Phone and Xbox's Metro setup. There's plenty to work with currently, and I expect a lot more to come at launch. The feel reminds me of how Chrome currently is, and I expect a lot of apps will quickly follow the release. On a note for businesses, this format is actually pretty easy to use for any Windows user...so if you want to bring it into your office, the transition might not be as bad as you think.
Just so you know, Windows 8 doesn't replace Windows 7...it's more like it's an added layer. You control the Metro Start page with the Windows key, and with two screens, it's even easier to manage. (The fact that the taskbar is on both screens is fantastic!) The only confusing part was how to exit an application, but because Windows 8 operates on a different path than we're used to, that's why it was confusing at the outset. Once an app goes dormant, by switching out to the start screen, the Task Manager "freezes" the app, and closes it after a short time.
I think this is worth your time to check out. So if you have an extra PC lying around with at least a gig processor and 1gb ram...go for it and check it out. Me, I'm STILL waiting for a beta or release for Windows RT, so I can get this on my HP Touchpad! :)
Make it a great week!
Friday, June 1, 2012
The Circle of Battery Life...
Despite the fact I have Disney on the brain right now, when a topic on battery life comes across my desk, I always try to look into it, because it's an issue we all deal with. With better screens, better processors, more RAM...power resources seem to drain ever faster, while the time provided by lithium batteries just seems to dwindle each year. No wonder people prefer tablets where they don't have to change the battery, right?
So in seeing this article who's headline proclaimed that Dell was seeing a battery life of 32.7 hours...I had to have a look. Nope...total sucker-writing. They only achieve that if they have multiple battery packs plugged in. Let me see, but I'm willing to bet that those of you who travel with a laptop aren't going to have 4 battery packs to lug around and plug them into your laptop, right? What made me laugh was how the writer pointed out that Dell is making a special option to pull the optical drive and replace it with a battery pack. Welcome to 2002, when IBM was doing that with their old Thinkpads.
You can only extend battery life for so long...so really, just buy a second battery at the outset. You'll be happier in the long run. :)
So in seeing this article who's headline proclaimed that Dell was seeing a battery life of 32.7 hours...I had to have a look. Nope...total sucker-writing. They only achieve that if they have multiple battery packs plugged in. Let me see, but I'm willing to bet that those of you who travel with a laptop aren't going to have 4 battery packs to lug around and plug them into your laptop, right? What made me laugh was how the writer pointed out that Dell is making a special option to pull the optical drive and replace it with a battery pack. Welcome to 2002, when IBM was doing that with their old Thinkpads.
You can only extend battery life for so long...so really, just buy a second battery at the outset. You'll be happier in the long run. :)
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