Posted by mark on October 14, 2014 | No Comments
Looking for a simple and easy form of card-payments using your iPhone or mobile? Heard about iZettle, Square or Paypal
and looking to use one in your business? Well now there’s a new player about to enter the already competitive game; Amazon, with the ‘Amazon Local Register’.
It looks as though Amazon’s eye for closing in and profiting on every market is unstoppable as they now promise a payment product likely to challenge all other competitors’ price with a fee of 1.75% per swipe – lower than any of the competitors listed above.
Amazon are selling the card reader at $9.99 (£5.89) compared to iZettle’s much greater price of £49. It’s US-only at the moment, but let’s hope they’re looking for a UK launch soon.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/
jul/28/amazon-credit-card-reader-paypal-square-izettle
Posted by mark on October 14, 2014 | No Comments
Following on from the much anticipated iPhone 6, Apple announced their new ‘Apple watch’ (as opposed to ‘iWatch’). It may be a wonderful gadget, but is it a useful business tool?
Previously, smart watches have not taken off in the sense that they have failed to be regarded as an essential accessory up there with the smart phone. One notable smart watch is the Moto360 which has previously been labelled as ‘trying to do too much’.
Does this mean that Apple could enter and dominate the market with their brand? Well, the biggest selling point for the Apple Watch seems to be its ability to monitor your health and personal fitness, and notifying you of e-mails (although it’s not recommended you try to read them on there). The major criticism of it is that it needs an iPhone to work in conjunction with, rather than as a stand-alone accessory.
If you’re still keen to get your hands on the Apple Watch however, you won’t be looking at getting it any sooner than early 2015. We’ll keep you posted.
http://www.theguardian.com/technology/2014/sep/09/
apple-watch-iwatch-wearable-device-smartwatch
Posted by mark on September 29, 2014 | No Comments
The ‘Paperless Office’ has been the ideal for businesses since the 70’s, however, people’s reluctance to stop using paper altogether has still a long way to go.
Despite the environmental benefits of going ‘paperless’ and the obvious cost saving effects of reduced paper consumption the embedded office culture still obstructs these advantages. The habit of writing things down to be typed up, or stored digitally to be printed out is inherent in the majority of working environments.
Although we are moving in the right direction as we move from servers to online storage in “the cloud”, according to The Economist a paperless office is still a long way off in the future. We can be more hopeful of such a way of life as the younger generations become more involved in their own careers with their experience of a lifetime online.
http://www.economist.com/blogs/babbage/2014/09/
difference-engine-2
Posted by mark on August 22, 2014 | No Comments
Using your technology outside of a Wi-Fi connection has been known to be costly. As the introductory hype to 4G dies down, now has become the best time to look at the prices and evaluate the benefits of paying more for 4G.
Although each network claims to provide a different rate of 4G, actual theoretical maximum download speeds prove to be much slower. However, it is still faster than what most people get on fixed-line ADSL connections and laptops connected to 4G now deliver a “near-identical” experience to that of one connected to Wi-Fi.
http://www.pcpro.co.uk/features/390364/what-s-the-best-4g-network-in-the-uk
Posted by mark on August 14, 2014 | No Comments
It was only a year ago when the iPad was considered a netbook killer, but people are still questioning whether tablets are able to replace an actual laptop.
They’re great for surfing the web, checking your emails and reading digital magazines or eBooks. Their convenient and practical nature was originally thought best for recreational purposes such as searching Facebook, playing games or watching movies etc.
However as the industry begins to adapt to the demand for tablets, so does the increase in apps tailored to assisting a business. Dropbox and iCloud exist to overcome the limited storage disadvantages such as in the case of downloading apps.
When deciding whether or not slates or tablets are good for your business it comes down to the original idea that Tablets are better for play and some work, and laptops are better for work and some play.
http://blog.laptopmag.com/tablets-vs-laptops-whats-best-for-you
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