SMB IT | Curtis Franklin | TAG: Mobile SMB

MORE ENTRIES

TAG: Mobile SMB

March 13, 2008 | Comments: (0)

One of the things I've noticed about small businesses is that we're on the move almost all the time. Whether we're making sales presentations, doing on-site work, or heading out to meet with vendors or clients, a lot of us are traveling. The hard part is continuing to do business while we travel. Fortunately, the tools are getting better, and the understanding that "the office" is wherever we are (not where our desk sits) is becoming more common.

I'm on the road this week, and I've been using some of the tools that I've written about in the past. Here are some notes (in no particular order) on some of the tools I've been using:

Google's GrandCentral is a nifty service, but I'm still getting the hang of it. Right now, I have two numbers enrolled, and I really like the fact that I can give someone my GrandCentral number and get the call on my cell phone without having to hand out my cell phone number. I also really like the way the voice-mail works, with notice of new messages e-mailed to me, visual listing of the e-mail (take that, iPhone!) and the ability to listen on my computer or a phone. I'm still trying to get used to having several layers of stacked voice mail, and I'm working on testing the setup for stacked calls -- but on the whole, it's a very good concept that's been executed well.

Speaking of Google, I find that I'm using Google Docs for collaboration a bit more than I thought I might. If there are just two folks, sending files back and forth works just fine, but once you get to three people working together the Google Docs system is quite fine. I'm sure that I need to wring more out of this, and I'll let you know when I've figured out some of the other tricks.

Have you followed the story of TSA and the Macbook Air? It seems that a small number of security folks didn't believe it was a real computer, and since they apparently don't own televisions, they hadn't seen one of the ads. What's the take-away? If you're traveling with the latest and greatest technology (especially if it really breaks new ground in form-factor or weight), take a copy of the receipt and, if possible, an ad for the device with you. Yes, it's a pain in the rear and, no, you shouldn't have to do something like this. If it helps you catch the critical flight, though, it's worth a couple of sheets of paper -- and you can make that angry call to your congresscritter once you're back on the ground. The same suggestion, by the way, applies to Li-Ion batteries that you want to carry on: If the vendor gives you the info showing that the battery falls within the guidelines, copy it and stick the paper in your carry-on bag. It could mean the difference between arriving with your batteries or not.

That's it for now...business calls. Let me know which tools help you when you're on the road -- I'd like to know the tools, tips, and techniques that keep your small business running while you're running for that next appointment.

Curt

Posted by Curt Franklin on March 13, 2008 06:44 PM

April 10, 2007 | Comments: (0)

SMB Tech News Today; 4/10

* 5 patches today. Microsoft is releasing 5 patches today, including four security patches one of them ranked 'critical.' There's also an update to the Malicious Software Removal Tool. Get 'em while they're hot. (Source: RedmondMag)

* Salesforce.com releases new tool. They're calling it Salesforce Content and it's designed to let workers do that all-powerful buzzword: collaboration. Share email, docs, videos, etc. just like the wiki folks or the SharePoint guys. (Source: InformationWeek)

* A coming inkjet revolution? There's some new inkjet technology on the horizon. It's called Memjet and could allow manufacturers to put out $200 inkjet color printers that can churn up to 60 pages per minute--30ppm for photo-quality color. Love the concept, but at those speeds, their cartridge disposal methods better be pretty green. And cheap. (Source: PC World)

* Sony comes out with mini-Vaio. The PS3 may be getting hammered, but Sony's still a power in notebooks. Just came out with a 12.1-inch sub-notebook, the Vaio Type-G, that's not only small but carries 32GB of flash storage instead of a hard disk. (Source: Gizmodo)

Posted by Oliver Rist on April 10, 2007 06:07 AM

April 04, 2007 | Comments: (0)

InfoWorld LIVE! #9: The Evolution of Cell Phones

Again, we had a rerun this past week because my jet setting co-host, Scott Draughon, had to hob-knob with the stars in California. We're back this week, however, and our topic is the future of cell phones.

We're talking with Stephane Marceau, CEO of up-and-comer MobiVOX; Vivek Khuller, founder and CEO of DiVitas (look for a Test Center review on their technology real soon) and InfoWorld's own chief technologist, Tom Yager, who just got back from CTIA with wireless stars in his eyes.

MobiVOX, by the way, is a tres cool Canadian company that's in open beta right now. The software allows any cell phone (and they emphasize 'any') to run a Skype client. It's also supposed to enable other forms of VoIP, but that Skype thing is immediate and sexy. I'm going to give it a shot later today. If you'd like to give it a try, the nice folks at MobiVOX have opened a special place for InfoWorld readers to give them a whirl. Just head over here and follow the instructions.

Meantime, if you want to hear us wax rhapsodic on the future of cell phones to consumers and business users, you can download this week's episode by clicking on this link: Listen!

Posted by Oliver Rist on April 4, 2007 09:41 AM

April 03, 2007 | Comments: (0)

SMB Tech News Today; 4/3

* Vista gets new licensing options. The Redmondites just issued two new licensing options for Vista Enterprise customers. Option one covers diskless computers, option two covers a client version of Windows on servers so users can run them elsewhere virtually. (Source: InfoWorld)

* Online ads to surpass radio. This is good news for both SMBs and InfoWorld, which just went online-only as of yesterday's last print issue. Meantime, a study from ZenithOptimedia is forecasting that Internet advertising will grow another 28.2% in 2007 which will put it ahead of radio--though I think those are UK numbers. (Source: PC World)

* Spam soars and targets SMBs. MessageLabs just issued numbers stating that spam levels have jumped 76.3% just in Q1 of 2007. And guess who most of it is aimed at: that's right, we hapless SMBers. I hate those guys. (Source: InformationWeek)

* Deepfish followed closely by Minimo. Actually, Deepfish is following Minimo, because the latter is actually being released while Deepfish is only an early beta. But Minimo is definitely behind in terms of press. But it is available and does support Windows Mobile 5 or higher, so give it a shot. Available here. (Source: PC World via Yahoo)

Posted by Oliver Rist on April 3, 2007 06:40 AM

April 02, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Dell Competes with ToughBook

Panasonic sent me a ToughBook a couple of years ago. This was still the full-bore, can't kill it ToughBook that looks like a space ship component. (Now, Panasonic's introed new ToughBooks that are shorter on toughness, longer on style and aimed 'business rugged' whatever that means.) Brian Chee and I had some fun throwing the thing across the ANCL lab and then seeing if it would still run--it did, never even hiccuped.

Seems rugged PCs is a decent enough market for some more big-name competition, however, and right now that name is Dell. The company recently introduced a new Latitude ATG (stands for All-Terrain Grade, tho it should be All-Terrain Geek) notebook, aimed at road warriors who need to take their PCs into less-then-friendly conditions. The box is optimized to resist dust, big-time vibrations and higher-than-average moisture--though it's definitely not water-proof. Still, it ain't a wimp, since Dell says the ATG can pass the MIL-STD810F spec for battle-ready hardware.

The ATG comes with a Core 2 Duo, up to 4GB of RAM, a shock-mounted 80GB hard disk, and Vista or XP. The screen is optimized for outdoor viewing, the case is made of partially rubberized magnesium alloy with the external ports protected from environmental nastiness.

All in all, it looks like a worthy competitor to the ToughBook line and runs about $2,600 for those who are interested.

Posted by Oliver Rist on April 2, 2007 02:18 PM

March 16, 2007 | Comments: (0)

Sneak Peek: Windows Mobile 6 Means More Pricey Cell Phones

Figured this would happen. Windows Mobile 6 is coming out, so are cell phone makers going to use it to make lower-cost-but-smarter mobile comm devices...or are they going to use it as an excuse to make Windows versions of the iPhone and charge all us lemmings a bundle for them?

Well, if it's E-Ten Communications' turn to speak, then it's definitely the latter as evidenced by their newly announced and desperately-named Glofiish X800 (not a misspelling). Quad-band, tablet-style, 640-by-480 display, 3.5G-compatible, Bluetooth 2, WiFi, built-in GPS, and a 2 megapixel digi-cam with zoom and autofocus. They're billing it as an 'ultra-thin' but judging by the photos, I'm not sure that's accurate.

Cost? $850 $900 depending on model, available in Q2. Showing at CeBit if you happen to be over there.

Posted by Oliver Rist on March 16, 2007 02:09 PM

February 09, 2007 | Comments: (0)

EARLY PEEK: Windows Mobile 6 with Screens and Bacon

Microsoft's PR usually drops me in a barbed-wire protected conference room for demos. So when the Mobile guys offered to do the meeting over breakfast, I stupidly jumped at the change of venue. 'Stupid' because I'm a self-employed freelance writer. To make an 8am breakfast meeting in NYC, I need to roll out of bed in north Jersey around 5:30am. I haven't been up that early since my last hangover emergency.

Fortunately, the W Hotel serves excellent coffee which eradicated my bleary fog such that I could actually understand what the Microsoft guys were talking about. Before that they sounded like one of those Charlie Brown saxophone-as-teacher numbers.

And that's Windows Mobile 6, once called Crossbow, and recently outed in a French newspaper even though the official embargo wasn't supposed to be till next week. Shards and feathers.

Embargoed or not, Windows Mobile 6 looks like it has enough sweets going for it to make Windows Mobile 5 users want to upgrade. The short list:

1. Support for Mobile Office. Previously only supported in Windows PocketPC.

2. Noticeable attention paid to the new user interface. Clear, colorful, with a few Vistaisms thrown in there, though the two OSes really don't have much of the same code.

3. Improved email support. All the push email that Exchange 2007 brings (including the manageability), but also the ability to one-step your Windows Live, Office Live and Hotmail email. Also has a neat service that goes and finds your proper email settings as long as that service knows about your ISP. All you need to know is your email address and password. Tres cool for folks with loads of pop mail accounts.

4. Better security. Not for viruses, that's still third party. But now not only can your IT guy wipe your phone's data if you lose it, you can, too. Just log into OWA and the tools will be there.

5. Improved ActiveSync. Now this does better with syncing not just files, but specifically photos and music, too. Though I need to have a discussion with the Vista guys on the differences between Vista's Sync Manager and ActiveSync. According to the Windows Mobile dudes, they're not the same thing.

6. Much improved searching. This covers a lot of ground. Searching for contacts starts with your local address book on the phone, for instance. There it narrows down the search the more letters you supply, covering the keys from a numeric angle as well. But local searching is only the start. You can now extend that contact search to your OWA address book, your Exchange Server address book, your Windows Live Mail contact database or even your other pop account address books.

Content searching is improved as well, similar to what you'll find on Outlook 2007. For one, it's noticeably faster. For two, it starts with your local email stores, searching addresses and subject lines. If you don't get a hit, you can opt to search any of your server-bound inboxes provided you've got connectivity. If you do, Windows Mobile 6 will extend the search and cover content in message bodies as well.

7. Lots of work done to the calendar. The Windows Mobile calendar can now take input from more than one source. It can also connect back to an Exchange Serve and serve up all those goodies about meeting availability and scheduling conflicts.

8. SharePoint touchpoints. They didn't have a demo ready, but the Windows Mobile 6 clients are supposed to be good SharePoint clients, as well. Guess we'll test that when we get a phone.

9. Oh yeah, contact search also covers Windows Live Messenger, which is fully integrated into Windows Mobile 6. So if your contact has a Windows Live Mobile ID, your contact search will not only tell you what that ID is, it'll also tell you whether the little freak is online right that moment. If he is, you can send him a text message right off the phone. That API is open, according to Microsoft, so you should see similar functionality from AIM, Yahoo!, et. al. pretty soon after Mobile 6 ships.

10. And last continues the GUI features: Simply reading email messages is easier and clearer, with support not just for a better overall view, but also for HTML email specifically. Not to worry, you can still turn that off if it sets off your security hackles.

Problems? A few. For one, there's a limited number of phones that will support it out of the gate and only T-Mobile phones for the first 90 days, apparently.

Next is that upgrading your existing phone is a big question mark. Microsoft says it's not up to them. That cell phone operators and manufacturers (meaning for me and my Q, for example, that's Motorola and Verizon) need to build a fully working upgrade package and test it, then release it to customers. So we could be waiting until this summer the way those two companies move. Also means that our upgrade most likely won't be free with Microsoft, the cell phone maker and the cell plan operator probably all looking for a slice of the upgrade revenue pie. BITETH ME HARD!!

We'll know more once we actually get one of these into our grubby little hands.

Posted by Oliver Rist on February 9, 2007 02:54 PM

December 11, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Notebook with Global Broadband Wireless

If your SMB has turned you into a world traveler, then check out HP's new Compaq nc6400 notebook. HP collaborated with Cingular on this box to give it UMTS/HSDPA broadband wireless technology as an internal option.

You can buy an nc6400 today and upgrade to the tri-band modem later as well. That modem will let custoemrs take advantage of Cingular's Wireless BroadbandConnect or high-speed EDGE data services. Covers 115 countries worldwide.

Okay, EDGE isn't as fast as EV-DO (or whatever they're calling it today), but Verizon isn't talking so take what you can get. Now all we need is WiMAX and I'll stop complaining.

Posted by Oliver Rist on December 11, 2006 11:19 AM

October 19, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Pimp Your Laptop

I swap notebooks a lot--mainly for ths blog. In fact, I just swapped out my Gateway tablet for a new Core 2 Duo version of the Gateway 255E. SMB execs are often similar. Not at all unusual for my clients to get a new laptop every year.

Thing is, laptops for me or for most SMB execs aren't add-on PCs. They're usually not PCs that exist only in briefcases, update changes to a server and then defer to big momma desktop in the office. That's too much of a pain for most folks. So most times, your laptop is your life.

So if it's your life, you should make it as comfortable and secure as possible. Yeah, that's pimping your notebook. I'm splitting this into two posts. This one is on things I always have. The next one will cover things I want.

THINGS I ALWAYS GET:

1. An extra battery. Get it from your notebook manufacturer or from a third-party provider like APC. But get one. And if there's a long-life (extra battery life) version get that. It may weigh a few ounces more, but they can usually get you all the way through a cross-country flight no matter what you're doing. Standard batteries usually crap out somewhere over Denver. So you can save your work and pull out a second battery (which also means lugging it around) or you can rely on just one battery and leave the second one in your checked luggage.

2. A travel mouse. Let's finally be honest and admit what we all know to be true: touchpads are an orcish plot. A travel mouse is a necessity. I like the Logitech V200 myself. No, it's not a super-fancy laser mouse, but it runs on any notebook with no need for drivers, has all the flexibility of an optical, and it only costs $40 if I lose it.

3. Surge protector. Everyone puts these on their desktops, but few think about their notebooks. Even though notebooks are the ones that get plugged into strange outlet after unreliable outlet. Hit CompUSA or APC's Web site, find a compatible surge protector and cover your booty.

4. Thumbdrive or portable hard drive. Backups are never more important than when you're running between your office, your client's office, home, the airport and any of a thousand places your precious laptop could have an accident. Figure out which data files are critical to your productivity, drop them into an easily managed folder or two, and keep a CONSTANTLY updated copy on a thumbdrive (if they fit there) or a portable hard disk (if you're a many-gig-type worker). I prefer thumb drives (you can get them to double as MP3 players if you buy the right one) but when it's a longer trip and I want to take a long a few extra movies, tunes and TV shows, I go to my homemade and travel-worthy external 100GB USB-SATA hard disk (I'll describe its construction in another post). Hey, the presentation you save may be your own.

5. Protect your data. Don't think about it as an "Oh yeah, I'll get that taken care of tomorrow." Buckle down and do it the same day your Office 2003 apps get installed. First: Backup software for that thumbdrive or portable hard disk. You can buy third-party backup software I like WinBackup 2.0 Pro, download something freeware like Simplify Safe Backup, or just use Microsoft's own Backup utility (works just fine, you just need to suffer throught he helpful wizard). But get it set up so that thumbdrive or porta-hard disk keep very current backups.
Next do data encryption. This should be on both your laptop's hard disk and the thumbdrive/porta-disk. (Why? Because you can lose either one.) Utilities like TrueCrypt or Cryptainer generally create one or more encrypted volumes. You access them via an ultra-strong password (like not "p4ssw0rd"; more like "34%Hdf$5gq97@#mk") Forget or lose that password and you're hosed.

6. Keep a third backup location. That's to protect yourself from losing that ultra-secure encryption password. This can be on a server back at your home office (secure behind all those firewalls and authentication protocols) or on an online backup service like AOL's xDrive, where they encrypt everything anyway. Anything happens to your password and you can call Joe in IT or log onto xDrive and get back what you need--maybe not as current as on your thumb-porta-disk, but current enough not to get fired.

7. Max out your bag. Notebooks may seem like they don't weigh so much when you're checking them out at Staples. But when they're in your briefcase with a power brick, an extra battery, a travel mouse and all your work, they definitely let you feel their weight. And that can be a real pain when you're sprinting a mile and half for that O'Hare connection. A real pain in the lumbar.
So protect your back and buy a notebook bag that can carry all your stuff without destroying your precious spinal disks. And don't think so much about detachable cell phone caddies, cool colors or whether the thing can power your iPod--think about your shoulders, your back and overall comfort. Personally, I prefer knapsacks with lower back support belts. Okay, I'm not going to get hit on by any O'Hare flight attendants when I'm wearing it that way, but that usually doesn't happen when I'm sprinting anyway.

8. Security cable. Protecting your data is a must-have, but it's good to protect the notebook, too. Fingerprint scanners are nice for protecting access, but they won't stop a guy from walking out of Starbucks with your whole laptop while you're vacating your last triple cappucino half-decaf triple sugar death dunker. Belkin and Targus make good ones.

Get all that and your laptop should be pretty well pimped out. Next week tho, we'll take it to a whole new level.

Posted by Oliver Rist on October 19, 2006 07:34 PM

August 22, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Cool Article: The Future of Cell Phones

Just in case you're a road warrior extrodinaire, I just read a cool article on what the future holds for us in the cell phone department. Don't often plug another mag's work, but BusinessWeek did a great job on this one. Good description of where cell phone makers are heading and the best places to get an early glimpse.

Posted by Oliver Rist on August 22, 2006 10:27 PM

June 26, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Treo Mods

Palm's been busy putting out new Treo versions and gear. The new version really doesn't thrill me. They're calling it the Treo Black Tie Edition. It amounts to a new shell with black coloring, a new black hardshell case and a new stylus that doubles as a pen. All of that surrounding a Treo 650 and going for...$599? Makes no sense.

The Treo TripKit is a little more sensical, and it's compatible with all model Treos from the 650 to the 700p. It's a useful kit, containing a Bluetooth wireless headset, a car charger, an extra battery, a new stylus that doubles as a pen and an international charger with attachments. All of that in a leather roll-up case that goes for $199. A little pricey, but still a better value than the Black Tie version.

Posted by Oliver Rist on June 26, 2006 07:18 AM

June 08, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Gateway M255-E SB: A Real SMB Notebook

Okay, Gateway can't name a notebook worth beans, but they sure built a functional winner this time around. I really like this thing, tho quantifying why is going to be a little difficult. There's not much snazzy about this machine, but it just works. And for a frequent traveler with enough headaches in his life, that's a huge plus. Just works.

Gateway sent me the M255-E after they decided it was the quickest way to get back their M280 tablet notebook. Figured if they fed me one, I'd fork the other one back over. They were right, and I don't for a moment regret it.

Having a convertible notebook, like the M280, was cool. Helped during sales presentations the most--the ability to shift the display around to show our application in action was keen. I almost never took notes on it as a tablet, however, because after 15 years as a journalist I type faster than I write anyway. But that's just me.

So I didn't miss the convertible screen when I unboxed the M255-E. I also didn't miss the M280's screen size. The M255-E is 14-inches across, whereas the M280 was 15-inches. Next to a slightly smaller screen, however, the 255-E also has a noticeably smaller case design. Read: thinner. The M280 is chubbier by itself and Gateway had shipped me the M280's long-life batteries, which fattened it up even more. Just a regular l-ion battery with the M255-E, but it gave me plenty of juice on my cross country flights (about three and a half hours on average depending on what you're doing) and it slipped into my knapsack/briefcase with the greatest of ease.

Another key benefit here, tho, is that it's light. Way lighter than the big-battery-equipped M280 and even noticeably lighter than my own ThinkPad T42p. 'Bout 5.2lbs with battery installed. Almost a pound less then my ThinkPad with its longlife battery installed.

But that doesn't mean it skimps on features. It has everything I wanted out of a decent workhorse SMB notebook: nice clear screen, 60GB SATA hard disk, CD/RW+DVD-ROM drive, full-size keyboard. No super gaming system video card, just an Intel Graphics Accelerator 950, but that's plenty for folks who need to work, not play Half-Life 2. And finally, Gateway stuck a 1.6Ghz Core Duo Mobile in there as well as 512MB RAM. Overall, noticeably snappier performance than on the M280 which only had a single-core 1.6GHz T1300 Single Core CPU. I would have liked to have upgraded the RAM to 1GB or more, but you can get it upgraded that way for only $90 extra.

Day-to-day performance was uneventful--which is good. If I needed to do it as part of a business trip, the M255-E could handle it. Four USB ports, one firewire, an s-video port, and a 6-in-1 memory card reader. (The last I discovered AFTER I went to loads of trouble to hook an external Sony Memory Stick reader to the box. That'll teach me: RTFM.)

Wireless is Intel 802.11a/b/g, wired is Broadcom 10/100/1000. Neither gave me trouble, except for a few minutes when I first started wireless. Seems there's a BIOS setting on the M255-E that permanently turns the wireless radio off--so not even the function key combo (Fn+F2) works. I'm not sure why that's there, but it gave me some trouble till I found it. Check this first before you report to Gateway that the wireless radio is fried. Just set it to Disable Radio and the radio will default to off when the machine powers on, but you can turn it on/off via the function key set.

I also like the optional GatewayShield security features. Again tho, these are optional features, so be sure to order them when buying. Once you do, however, you get the McAfee or Symantec desktop suites (your choice) as well as the BigFix update scanner--this thing works pretty well, too.

Additionally, you can configure the TPM security chip with Computrace's Complete data delete feature. This means the system will automatically delete all onboard data should it realize it's been stolen via CompuTrace's BIOS-level LoJack capability. A nice feature set, but I wish they had some built-in data encryption above and beyond Windows like the ThinkPad people do.

Overall, I really, really like it. Not as uber-powerful as my Thinkpad, not quite as snazzy as the M280 convertible; but the M255-E's addition of Core Duo gives it all the juice it needs in the perfect form factor for the traveler that really needs to do work. And a nicely decked out unit costs little enough that you won't mind equipping several employees. Real win for Gateway.

M255-E SB
Gateway
Price: With Microsoft Office Small Business 2003, a 3-year service on-site service plan, and GatewayShield security services, $1729.96. Without any of that, $1284.99.
Verdict: I love it. For a guy who keep dropping a PC into a bag and heading off to the airport, having something both light and fast enough for desktop work is great. No fancy bells and whistles, but enough expansion so you can add whatever you want later. And it's a nice price, too.

Posted by Oliver Rist on June 8, 2006 05:08 PM

April 20, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Outfitting a Mobile Office

PC Mag's been going more and more automotive of late. Fortunately, they've done some pretty good work on anticipating new automotive geek gadgets and such.

Latest is a pretty cool descriptor an how to trick out a car as a complete mobile office. In case you're the chief sales rover for your SMB (like me) and spend most of your waking hours behind the wheel in one form or another (again, like me), then this is the read for you.

Posted by Oliver Rist on April 20, 2006 06:03 PM

April 10, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Scribble: Decent Tablet from Electrovaya

Using display technology from Toshiba, Electrovaya, a small tablet-specific manufacturer, seems to have climbed a nother run on the tablet's evolutionary ladder. (BTW, the picture above is of the previous version, the 3000, because the pic that Electrovaya had of the the 3100 wasn't real nice in my opinion. Then again a tablet is a flat piece of plastic with a screen, so you get the idea.)

It's newest product, the Scribbler SC-3100 is a nicely fleshed out tablet with enough smarts for field work, presentations and mobile notetaking. First, it's light with an optional keyboard, meaning it's way easier to carry than the convertible notebook I'm typing on now. It's got an enhanced display screen, called the BOE Hydis 180 (from Toshiba, I believe), that allows not only viewing from all angles but easy viewing outdoors as well.

Without keyboard and USB accessories, the thing has a rated battery life of 9 hours, but even if that's only 6 hours in real life it's still pretty good.

CPU is a 1.6GHz Intel Pentium M Centrino, which is good enough for where Electrovaya wants you to scribble (though I'm hoping they go Core Duo eventually). There are also a few nice-to-have features that come standard, including a high-quality microphone for audio notetaking as well as a fingerprint scanner for all us security nuts. Finally, there's even an optional docking station for those that want to try this as a desktop replacement.

Bad news? It's a little RAM-anemic as it starts at only 256MB and even the decked out config only comes to 768MB. Other than that, the thing looks pretty darn usable.

Posted by Oliver Rist on April 10, 2006 10:36 AM

April 06, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Decent SmartPhone: T-Mobile SDA

Just saw this thing in action, and it's a pretty decent smartphone for the money. Specs:

OS = Windows Mobile 5.0
Onboard memory = 64MB RAM
Phone connectivity = Quad band
Phone feature: Speaker phone
Web connectivity = EDGE & 802.11x
Expansion = One miniSD slot, Bluetooth
Camera = 1.3 megapixel
Price = $299 (but you can get it in the NYC metro area for $199 after a $100 rebate)

John bought this thing as a backup phone--don't ask. Not a bad little number over all. T-Mobile's EDGE network access isn't overly expensive and while it didn't seem as fast as the EV-DO phones I've seen, it's fast enough for me.

The Windows Mobile OS was important to me for all the third-party application support, though it does emphasize the one weakness this phone has for me: The screen. Just a bit too small and a mite dim.

It's also defintely not what you want if you're an email or text messaging freak--no keyboard. But for a low-cost smartphone with that contact/scheduling via Outlook capability as well as decent Web browsing, it's a good enough choice.

T-Mobile SDA
T-Mobile
Price: $299
Verdict: Decent smartphone. Lack of keyboard may crimp some styles and EDGE-only Web connectivity is a mite slower than EV-Do.

Posted by Oliver Rist on April 6, 2006 09:49 PM

March 09, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Laptop Data Protection Service from Everdream

If you're like most SMB road warriors, there's enough confidential data on your notebook to cause a cold sweat when you think about it falling into the wrong hands.

It's not that you're careless, it's that road warrior types tend to use thier notebooks as their primary machines--and that means confidential data just creeps on there no matter how many external USB drives or server folders you've got reserved for the purpose.

So cover your butt. Sign up for Everdream's hosted desktop management software and you'll get some client software to install. That stuff gives you the usual desktop management benefits of access by help desk admins, patch and virus updates, and it also allows Everdream to do an automatic data backup via the Web.

But the neat part is where it lets them wipe the machine of all data should you pull the trigger. Doesn't get your PC back, but that's often not as important as making sure that intellectual property, important passwords or banking information doesn't wind up at auction in some pawn shop or over eBay.

Posted by Oliver Rist on March 9, 2006 08:13 PM

March 09, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Nokia's BlackBerry Slayer Meets FCC Approval

Those Finnish boys are apparently tired of watching customers flock to BlackBerry and Treo for the ultimate in smartphone/messaging coolness. So they've taken their Symbian OS, GUIed it up and stuffed it into a form factor that looks like a thinner version of its two competitors.

The handheld is called the E61 Communicator, and Nokia announced it back in October, gave us a glimpse of it at CES, but other than that nada. Well, get set for smartphone goodness, because the E61 just passed FCC approcal for sale in the US.

Aside from Symbian, it's also a quad-band GSM phone with Universal Mobile Telecommunications System (UTMS) 3G support, which means it should be able to support around 400Kbps data throughput--provided your wireless network can support that (don't hold your breath).

It's also got WiFi, Bluetooth and USB 2 with that QWERTY keyboard with which all you text messengers like to tap tap tap away the hours. The screen is supposed to handle 320x240 with 16 million colors. Installed RAM is 75MB with an miniSD slot available for expansion.

Nokia says the E61's Symbian will have smarts enough to compete with BlackBerry and Treo, including contact management, document and spreadsheet editing, PDF and ZIP managers and more. Thankfully, no mention of a low-end camera.

No word on exactly when we'll see this, but Nokia seems eager to get it on the market. It'll also work with a number of messaging platforms, including its own Busienss Center but also GoodLink and even BlackBerry Connect.

See, forget the 770. This thing is actually useful.

Posted by Oliver Rist on March 9, 2006 10:47 AM

February 24, 2006 | Comments: (0)

Panda's Cell Phone Security

When I saw that weirdo Garza at the editorial retreat a few weeks back, he gushed a bit about Panda Software as being his new desktop security darling. Okay, he's weird, but he knows security so I checked it out.

Quite the library of stuff, and whole slew of dedicated SMB protection suites. And a nice freebie Web scanner for use in emergencies. Good so far. I'm working on getting the testing skinny on the production products, but meanwhile the company announced the beta of MobileSecurity. (Where do these sec freaks come up with these stylish names?)

According to Panda, MobileSecurity will provide end-to-end security for your Symbian 60 cell phone. Panda claims this'll work with no performance impact on the phone, but also states it's going to be scanning every piece of incoming data. Guess we'll see how muscly those cell phone CPUs really are.

While Panda has announced the beta, they apparently haven't released it yet, as their site's BetaZone doesn't yet have a download link. Keep checking back there if you're interested.

Posted by Oliver Rist on February 24, 2006 11:11 AM

February 09, 2006 | Comments: (0)

PDAs Still Not Web Worthy

eWeek pubbed this news analysis on the state of mobile Web browsing. Basically, it's not here yet according to their experts. The tools are better, but still to unreliable for real business use.

That's a bummer for both road warriors and software developers (like me) who see a mobile platform as a pretty short term delivery targer. My intended customers (real estate agents) sometimes live on the road. Any central-office application that intends to service them has to run over a mobile platform, because the stop-at-Starbucks-and-login-with-your-notebook routine doesn't work for these guys. It's got to be a smartphone.

So aside from casual Web browsing, has anyone out there used a PDA-type device for real business application delivery? And if you have, what's the verdict from the field?

Posted by Oliver Rist on February 9, 2006 09:17 AM

September 23, 2005 | Comments: (0)

Treo in Turmoil?

Seems life is a little shaky in Treoland. I've come across a couple of things in the other blog, that combine to make Treos more of a wait-and-see proposition for any SMBs who might be thinking of purchasing them as a corporate platform.

What used to be the definitive smartphone has fallen on hard times due to reliability and performance issues. Personally, I had the Trident experience: four out of five clients who used Treos have returned them due to unmanageable performance problems. They simply crash too much. Other Treo owners feel the same, which is why three of them have filed suit against Palm. Again...QA QA QA.

That's already a big problem. But when you couple that with BusinessWeek's report that Palm has announced a future version of Treo that will run on (gasp!) Windows Mobile 5.0, you really just gotta see how this plays out before you plunk down another $600.

Posted by Oliver Rist on September 23, 2005 06:12 AM

September 07, 2005 | Comments: (0)

The Lameness of Apple's ROKR iPhone

No doubt the rabid Apple zealots will flame me for this, but frankly, I was expecting more. Apple's supposed to be the king of innovative interfaces. But instead of getting something with an unexpected cool factor, I got exactly what Apple hinted at: A phone with a digital music player built in. And only that.

And it's not even an iPod digital music player, just something that can talk to the iTunes service without getting its genitalia in a twist. And they partner exclusively with Cingular?! Whose bright idea was that? You think I'm paying $250 for this, think again.

And let's talk target customer for a minute. Who needs digital device consolidation more than the average biz exec? Average trip, we're carrying a notebook, PDA, cell phone, MP3 player, and mayhap a beeper or portable GPS. Not to mention the variety of add-on crap these things require -- music headphones, noise-canceling head phones, hands-free cell phone ear jack, power cords, batteries, DVDs, memory sticks, SD cards, feed bags, parachutes. Add a green hat and an M1 and it's like we're invading Normandy. Judged solely by his belt not his waistline, the average traveling exec now looks a lot like Batman.

So why just combine two of these utility belt jobbies? A real PDA would not only make exec users happy, it'd put a dent in the Treo's market share now that it's having reported reliability problems. In case you're unaware, the Treo has an MP3 player built-in, too. Not a great one, but it's there. And it's got a real PDA behind it, so it's actually got some productivity uses, too.

But no. Apple gives me a typical cell phone and a below-average digital player. With a stunningly inadequate 100 song capacity. My jump drive can handle more songs than that.

Listen up Apple. I've said this before and I'm saying it again. This is what I want in a smartphone:

A phone With calling plan options, not tied only to freaking Cingular. And don't forget beeper functions, text messaging and a battery life that'll keep the rest of this stuff running for more than a couple of hours.
A PDA Windows Mobile, PalmOS, Linux, whatever. Make an OS X Mini for all I care. (In fact, that'd be truly cool.) I just want it to be smart enough to sync to my PC for schedules and contacts and be able to run a few useful mobile applications, like an NYC cross street finder and such. Email would be nice, but isn't required. Wireless Internet surfing would be very nice. You can stuff the third-rate digi-cam. And please, for syncing, stick with USB 2 not some hey-we're-charging-you-$20-everytime-you-sync-with-our-"high-speed"-wireless-network deal.
A real music player Why? Because I'm in planes, trains and automobiles and there's always a kid behind me trying out for the international yodeling team. I'm not thrilled about all your iTunes proprietary stuff, straight MP3 would be better, but I'd be willing to overlook it for the right player. And the right player has at least 4GB of space on it. 100 songs is for shmucks. I have severe ADD, so a selection isn't just nice, it's mandatory.

That's just the basics. After that, it'd be nice if you'd impress me. For example, make a noise canceling headphone that doubles as a cell phone ear jack. Don't worry, I'll even pay retail for it. Maybe add a GPS if you can fit it in there -- or better yet make it an optional upgrade via an expansion slot. Add a theft/loss proofing service that lets me activate a remote signal to wipe the phone of all data if it's been lost or stolen. Or at least something to encrypt valuable data, so thieves just get my phone not my whole life.

You know, obvious stuff like that. Oh yeah, and make it look cool. This one looks like an old Nokia from the early 90s. I don't need diamonds encrusting the shell, but a little gee whiz bling is something I expect from Apple's hardware designers. You made that damn mouse look funky, there's got to be more you can do with a phone! Guess Apple should have made the phone themselves instead of partnering with Motorola.

Posted by Oliver Rist on September 7, 2005 01:59 PM

EMERGING ENTERPRISE PODCAST

Listen to the latest podcast:

MP3 •

•

• Archive •

Technology White Papers

InfoWorld Technology Marketplace

» Technology White Papers Library

Technology White Papers by Topic

Technology White Papers E-mail Alert