This is a repost of information as this product nears the end of it's Kickstart. You should join in now! :)
------------------------
Normally we really focus on what will affect your lives in IT. It could be new software or server tech...down to how to better manage your networking time (coughMERAKIcough). This time around, I was jumping around on Kickstarter this past week looking for new game projects to help fund, and I found this amazing thing:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DpcQlkbZUM&w=560&h=315]
Tell me that doesn't look amazing. I think the jury is out on if it will help us carpal tunnel sufferers, but the ability to not have to move back and forth from the keyboard to the mouse so much just SCREAMS productivity.
Right now you can help Kickstart the project, for $79 and receive one of the units after the kickstarter goes through and they get them made. Worth it. I think this one is coming out of my bonus money. :)
Leads me to ask...what kind of innovations are you all interested in seeing?
Wednesday, March 6, 2013
EU Fines Microsoft $730 million!
No other way to say it...OUCH. Today the European Union fined Microsoft $730 million for breaking a 2009 anti-trust agreement. What that means is that back in 2009, Microsoft agreed to put a "browser ballot box" in every copy of Windows, so nobody was forced to use Internet Explorer. (Because you know, it is SO difficult to find Firefox, Chrome, Opera or that Apple stuff.)
Due to a technical error, the service pack for Win 7 removed that option back in July, putting MS out of compliance with the regulation. I find it pretty ironic that one of the largest companies chasing down people out of compliance with its software regulations was in the same boat for a change. However, $730 million dollars is only 3% of Microsoft's profit for 2012, so I don't think they're worried. ;)
Doh!
Due to a technical error, the service pack for Win 7 removed that option back in July, putting MS out of compliance with the regulation. I find it pretty ironic that one of the largest companies chasing down people out of compliance with its software regulations was in the same boat for a change. However, $730 million dollars is only 3% of Microsoft's profit for 2012, so I don't think they're worried. ;)
Doh!
Tuesday, March 5, 2013
Hard to be a one man band...
Hi folks! Sorry it's been so long since my last post. I didn't forget everyone...but my clients who need things kinda have to come first...and last month was quite busy at the end. Thanks to many of our readers here, I had the best and busiest month here at PCM since I started back in 2008. :)
I will get us back on track starting today, and I"m going to do a better job of backlogging articles to make sure we get at least 3-4 posts up a week. I may even bring in some guest bloggers, so if you're interested in commenting on technology today, let me know...we'd love to have you help out. :)
Look for some more today and tomorrow!
I will get us back on track starting today, and I"m going to do a better job of backlogging articles to make sure we get at least 3-4 posts up a week. I may even bring in some guest bloggers, so if you're interested in commenting on technology today, let me know...we'd love to have you help out. :)
Look for some more today and tomorrow!
Wednesday, February 20, 2013
Innovations in mouse technology...
Normally we really focus on what will affect your lives in IT. It could be new software or server tech...down to how to better manage your networking time (coughMERAKIcough). This time around, I was jumping around on Kickstarter this past week looking for new game projects to help fund, and I found this amazing thing:
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DpcQlkbZUM&w=560&h=315]
Tell me that doesn't look amazing. I think the jury is out on if it will help us carpal tunnel sufferers, but the ability to not have to move back and forth from the keyboard to the mouse so much just SCREAMS productivity.
Right now you can help Kickstart the project, for $79 and receive one of the units after the kickstarter goes through and they get them made. Worth it. I think this one is coming out of my bonus money. :)
Leads me to ask...what kind of innovations are you all interested in seeing?
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0DpcQlkbZUM&w=560&h=315]
Tell me that doesn't look amazing. I think the jury is out on if it will help us carpal tunnel sufferers, but the ability to not have to move back and forth from the keyboard to the mouse so much just SCREAMS productivity.
Right now you can help Kickstart the project, for $79 and receive one of the units after the kickstarter goes through and they get them made. Worth it. I think this one is coming out of my bonus money. :)
Leads me to ask...what kind of innovations are you all interested in seeing?
Monday, February 11, 2013
Battleground - APC Vs. Cyberpower
Howdy folks! One of y'all asked me if I would do some Vs. statistics on products I think are commonly used and purchased. Well, I think nearly everyone uses UPS units and go through them quite quickly. One of the most common I've sold are these two units, one from APC and one from Cyberpower. Both are quality...but I will let you tell me what you think the primary difference is...
Crazy right? Well, several of my clients and I have found that Cyberpower offers a lower cost alternative to APC without losing any of the features that you're used to. I don't like to tout one manufacturer over the other, but I've been personally using Cyberpower in my home for 4 years now, and that little guy keeps on ticking without issue. APC is the industry standard...and if you're happy using them, more power to you. (oooh a pun!) :)
Have questions? Ask away! :)
| APC | Cyberpower | |||||
| SMT1500 | CP1500 | |||||
| 1500VA with LCD readout | 1500VA with LCD display | |||||
| 24 min 1/2 load & 8 min full | 24 min 1/2 load & 8 min full | |||||
| Hot swappable batteries | Hot swappable batteries | |||||
| 3 year warranty | 3 year warranty. | |||||
| $477 (retail) | $340 (retail) | |||||
Crazy right? Well, several of my clients and I have found that Cyberpower offers a lower cost alternative to APC without losing any of the features that you're used to. I don't like to tout one manufacturer over the other, but I've been personally using Cyberpower in my home for 4 years now, and that little guy keeps on ticking without issue. APC is the industry standard...and if you're happy using them, more power to you. (oooh a pun!) :)
Have questions? Ask away! :)
Wednesday, February 6, 2013
Threat Predictions for 2013
Howdy folks. Here's something that is free and can give you a bit of a leg up on this year's potential threats. Our partners, Trend Micro, are holding a special webinar slated to run at 1-2pm Central time on Tuesday February 12 in regards to the security and risk landscape of 2013. Take a look below and come on out for it! Better to know more and prepare, than sit in the dark, twiddling your thumbs and hoping for the best, right?
http://www.trendmicro.com/us/security-intelligence/events/index.html
| |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
The Elitepad is about to Land.
Alright folks...you saw my earlier post about the HP Elitepad 900 and how it is just about to launch. Rather than talk at length again, here's a video you likely haven't seen that will detail it for you...
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRTOg3b1NZQ?list=PLEB6A9D285B9C0EDB&w=560&h=315]
No it isn't the iPad...they're similar but far different. The Elitepad 900 was made for businesses. (Unless you really have to look at your Excel spreadsheets in HD.) This is designed to work with your existing Windows infrastructure. (No jury rigging here!) The Elitepad 900 will work right out of the box with what you need it to do. Add the Battery Jacket and battery...and you've got a tablet running with 24 hours of battery life. Add the keyboard dock and you now have a desktop replacement as well. It's worth looking at.
Right from the PCM website...click the graphic to go there and look. Interested? Want to know what pricing is like? Contact us. :)
[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZRTOg3b1NZQ?list=PLEB6A9D285B9C0EDB&w=560&h=315]
No it isn't the iPad...they're similar but far different. The Elitepad 900 was made for businesses. (Unless you really have to look at your Excel spreadsheets in HD.) This is designed to work with your existing Windows infrastructure. (No jury rigging here!) The Elitepad 900 will work right out of the box with what you need it to do. Add the Battery Jacket and battery...and you've got a tablet running with 24 hours of battery life. Add the keyboard dock and you now have a desktop replacement as well. It's worth looking at.
Right from the PCM website...click the graphic to go there and look. Interested? Want to know what pricing is like? Contact us. :)
Tuesday, February 5, 2013
Dell goes Private...
The Dell issue has been talked about over the past few weeks, with rumors of a buyout. Now today, AP newswire has confirmed that Dell is going Private in a $24.4 billion dollar buyout. It looks like Michael Dell himself and a few financial partners (Microsoft is one, Silver Lake Partners another) are buying out his own company in order to take it Private.
There's going to be a lot of speculation on this for the coming weeks...on whether or not this is good for Dell as a whole. Yes, taking the company private makes them not accountable to anyone but themselves, and will likely allow them the chance to restructure much easier. Question is, who gets hurt? In these kinds of deals, usually it is the consumer who is hit with higher prices, reduced service and lack of accountability. I'm not saying that this can happen to Dell...but I've seen it happen before to other companies.
We in the DMR channel are waiting to hear what it will mean to us. We don't know yet...it could be very good for us and our clients, or it could spell the end of Dell working with the channel. Who knows? We're waiting and watching here.
ZDnet asks 10 questions about what is going to happen to Dell here.
There's going to be a lot of speculation on this for the coming weeks...on whether or not this is good for Dell as a whole. Yes, taking the company private makes them not accountable to anyone but themselves, and will likely allow them the chance to restructure much easier. Question is, who gets hurt? In these kinds of deals, usually it is the consumer who is hit with higher prices, reduced service and lack of accountability. I'm not saying that this can happen to Dell...but I've seen it happen before to other companies.
We in the DMR channel are waiting to hear what it will mean to us. We don't know yet...it could be very good for us and our clients, or it could spell the end of Dell working with the channel. Who knows? We're waiting and watching here.
ZDnet asks 10 questions about what is going to happen to Dell here.
Tuesday, January 29, 2013
HP's Elitepad 900 is almost here!
I think most of you know my history with HP and their Touchpad. I was an early adopter and loved the merits of that device and WebOS. It looked to be a good alternative to the iPad, and if marketed/priced right it could have been a great enterprise tool. However, with the status of executive management at HP in shambles, they bumbled the whole thing, and ended up falling flat on their faces. A lesser company would have given up and stayed out of that market...or worse, run themselves into the ground with a product that wasn't going to work. HP let WebOS die a very sad death in the OpenSource internet zone...and have been working on the ElitePad ever since.
Now we're faced with this bad boy, that can take on the enterprise space of IT, and do in the corporate world what the iPad cannot. Be a native. What I mean is that it's ready to work with the systems you already have, because let's face it, a VERY LARGE % of businesses do not have an Apple infrastructure. Those who are using iPads still have to cobble together a solution from companies like Airwatch or MobileIron or Meraki, in order to get the Apple products to play nicely in their space.
But what if you didn't have to do that?
Take a look at the site here. I had the chance last week to handle the Elitepad 900 and was thoroughly pleased with it. As many of you know I own a Nexus 7 tablet, and love that too...but if given the chance, I'd give it up for the Elitepad 900. Why? Let's count off the awesome features:
Yes, yes I know this looks all well and good. The Expansion jacket adds USB ports, an HDMI port, and and MMC port...add the battery portion and BLAMMO, this tablet becomes ultra useful in the corporate environment. Add the display dock & keyboard...and you've got a real mobile desktop setup.
While not cheaper than the iPad on release...come Feb 7 when these are in stock, there will likely be plenty of deals floating around. Keep your eyes locked here for more details!
Thank you HP for getting your act together and pushing out a product that looks to be extremely good for Enterprise and Business. :)
(click the link for "the iPad"...I thought that was funny)
Now we're faced with this bad boy, that can take on the enterprise space of IT, and do in the corporate world what the iPad cannot. Be a native. What I mean is that it's ready to work with the systems you already have, because let's face it, a VERY LARGE % of businesses do not have an Apple infrastructure. Those who are using iPads still have to cobble together a solution from companies like Airwatch or MobileIron or Meraki, in order to get the Apple products to play nicely in their space.
But what if you didn't have to do that?
Take a look at the site here. I had the chance last week to handle the Elitepad 900 and was thoroughly pleased with it. As many of you know I own a Nexus 7 tablet, and love that too...but if given the chance, I'd give it up for the Elitepad 900. Why? Let's count off the awesome features:
- Windows 8 Pro
- 1.8GHz Dual core Atom
- 1.5 lbs / 9.2mm in depth
- 1280x800 / 10.1" gorilla glass
- Micros HCSD card slot
- 8mp rear facing camera/1080p hd front camera
- Built in security features including Computrace
- A bevy of accessories including the awesome Expansion Jacket (with a battery add on that can increase battery life to 24 hours), and the docking station.
Yes, yes I know this looks all well and good. The Expansion jacket adds USB ports, an HDMI port, and and MMC port...add the battery portion and BLAMMO, this tablet becomes ultra useful in the corporate environment. Add the display dock & keyboard...and you've got a real mobile desktop setup.
While not cheaper than the iPad on release...come Feb 7 when these are in stock, there will likely be plenty of deals floating around. Keep your eyes locked here for more details!
Thank you HP for getting your act together and pushing out a product that looks to be extremely good for Enterprise and Business. :)
(click the link for "the iPad"...I thought that was funny)
Friday, January 25, 2013
Cisco Sells Linksys to Belkin
Wow. Well I guess it's now official, Cisco is running screaming with its hair on fire from the consumer market. What you say? I thought they owned Linksys? Not anymore, the sale of that part of their business to Belkin helps cement the move that Cisco has made to get away from the consumer market.
They bought and then trashed the Flip camera (which is still cool btw), because sales didn't meet their expectations (reminds me of HP and the Touchpad debacle, "What do you mean our lackluster product can't be priced the same as an iPad?)...and now they're jettsoning Linksys after gutting that company for the past 10 years. I remember when Linksys had products that worked, were good & easy to use, and didn't feel like a chore. Maybe Belkin who has a softer touch and a good feel for consumer products can better utilize the Linksys brand name...I have hope.
Later this weekend I'll post about the new HP Elitepad, since I got to use one yesterday. COOL stuff. :)
They bought and then trashed the Flip camera (which is still cool btw), because sales didn't meet their expectations (reminds me of HP and the Touchpad debacle, "What do you mean our lackluster product can't be priced the same as an iPad?)...and now they're jettsoning Linksys after gutting that company for the past 10 years. I remember when Linksys had products that worked, were good & easy to use, and didn't feel like a chore. Maybe Belkin who has a softer touch and a good feel for consumer products can better utilize the Linksys brand name...I have hope.
Later this weekend I'll post about the new HP Elitepad, since I got to use one yesterday. COOL stuff. :)
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)