We are pleased to work with Ramon Ray, CEO and editor of SmallBizTechnology.com, journalist, and technology evangelist, to bring you new Small Biz tips every Wednesday morning. Each week they’ll be sharing videos and articles featuring hot topics, products and trends in small business. Read More
Author: Shy Mukerjee
AT&T Announces 4G BlackBerry Torch 9810
AT&T have been rolling out new 4G phones and devices all summer, and today they’re announcing the next evolution in Blackberry phones, with their first 4G Blackberry offering: the Torch 9810. While there’s only an announcement today and no release date set, we do have some details to share with you about the large touchscreen + full QWERTY keyboard phone. The most exciting spec though, is that this Blackberry is going to boast amazing internet speeds with 4G connectivity. We can’t wait!
Here’s what’s new and improved:
· 4G HSPA+ capability
· 1.2 GHz processor
· High-res VGA display
· More precise touchscreen
· Updated BlackBerry® 7 OS
· Enhanced Web browser
· 720p HD video recording
If you want to be the first one in your office sporting this hot new Blackberry, AT&T Premier will notify you via email when the 4G Torch becomes available. You can sign up here.
Last Chance to Win a Business Consultation with @MarioArmstrong! Contest runs thru Friday!
Just a quick note that this is your last chance to enter our contest to win a business or tech consultation with Mario Armstrong. Ever wondered how the man himself can help you reach your goals? Want to ask someone about how the latest tech can help you? This is your chance! 3 entrants will be selected this Friday at 5pm for our contest to win a 20-minute consultation with Mario himself!
What on earth are you waiting for? Enter the contest today!
Small Biz Tips with SmallBizTechnology.com
We are pleased to work with Ramon Ray, CEO and editor of SmallBizTechnology.com, journalist, and technology evangelist, to bring you new Small Biz tips. Each week they’ll be sharing videos and articles featuring hot topics, products and trends in small business.
Smallbiztechnology.com on the Mobile Tech Tools SMBs Can Use
Increasingly, the development community has fashioned mobile programs for small-business owners, recognizing that on-the-go is simply part of running a modern enterprise, according to Ramon Ray, editor of Smallbiztechnology.com.
“They’re all about speed, efficiency and serving customers better,” he said in the Wall Street Journal. “They enable small businesses to do big things.”
Let’s take a look at how mobile technology affects small business marketing and poll results.
iTwin: Secure Remote File Sharing With USB Gadget
I’m a long time user of Dropbox, for file sharing. I know others of you use, SugarSync, YouSendIt and other tools. I also use Carbonite for remote file access. Now, there’s new kid on the block, iTwin.
iTwin is not an online service but it’s a product, in fact a double sided USB drive. You plug one end into computer “A” and the other end into computer “B”. Once both ends of the iTwin USB drive are plugged in you can share files stored on the iTwin drive of one computer with the iTwin drive of the other computer. Pretty neat and simple. Watch a video about iTwin and read more.
Are You Backing Up Your Data? Here’s Why You Should
Sixty percent of small businesses that lose their data go bankrupt because of that data loss. Those are able to recover their data successfully spend anywhere from $2000 to $8000 per megabyte. Why go through the trouble, and take the risks, when the solution is as easy as backing up your valuable data?
“Have the peace of mind that your data is secure,” said Danesh Rao, Business Unit Manager for Small Businesses at Intel Home Storage. “It should be a no brainer.”
Rao said that small and medium-sized businesses are realizing the value of a good storage system.
Wednesday Small Biz Tips with SmallBizTechnology.com
We are pleased to work with Ramon Ray, CEO and editor of SmallBizTechnology.com, journalist, and technology evangelist, to bring you new Small Biz tips. Each Wednesday, they’ll be sharing videos and articles featuring hot topics, products and trends in small business. Click through to the story today to learn about using QR codes to engage customers, improving productivity with better infrastructure, and working in harmony with your virtual employees. Read More
It’s Official: Smartphones are More Important than Hygiene
When we last checked in with Manta, they released some promising survey data indicating that Small Businesses are hiring. Their latest survey, however, tells us a little bit more about the modern Small Business owner and entrepreneur. While it’s within their margin of error, more small business owners check their email on their mobile device first thing in the morning (32%) than brush their teeth (31%). The age of the smartphone has truly arrived.
That said, it’s important for Small Business owners and entrepreneurs to make the most of their time spent on their mobile devices. Reading this site is one way. Signing up for Manta might be another. If you missed our previous coverage, allow me to recap: Manta allows small biz owners to ‘claim’ their online business listing, network with other small business owners, and participate in a rich Q&A-style forum called Manta Connect. The best part? Manta just announced the latest version of their mobile app for iOS devices. And it’s all free, so you really have no excuse.
The new version of the app allows you to search for small businesses in a variety of ways, offering search filters by category, name, number of employees, proximity and more. They give you maps of company locations, and let you bookmark other small businesses you might be interested in networking with. But the best part? If you’re using the new Manta app on your iPhone, you can easily add a biz’s contact info straight into your phone book.
One last bit of data from the survey: Manta found that a full 73% of business owners are working remotely while on vacation this summer, checking email or documents from their smartphone or tablet computers. I know that it’s tough working for a small business sometimes, feeling like you have to work twice as hard as your competition just to stay afloat, but you need to remember to relax too. Maybe you should be using the Manta app to find yourself a decent spa or massage parlor.
Oh, and if you want to check out the full release of Manta’s new survey data, head on over to their site. Just don’t drop your smartphone in the toilet while trying to juggle your floss with your iPhone.
Win a Business Consultation with Mario Armstrong!
Want to know how to best take advantage of your smartphone or tablet? Have questions about branding or social media? Just want someone to bounce some business ideas off of? Mario Armstrong is here to answer your pressing questions. We’re giving away three 20-minute business consultations with Mario, and entering couldn’t be easier. Just follow these simple steps and you’re good to go!
- Send us an email to editor@smallbizgomobile.com with the subject line CONSULTATION. Explain in no more than 5 sentences what your business is and how you could benefit from a meeting with Mario. Our team of writers will be evaluating these and picking the three most-promising small businesses to meet with Mario. Let us know why you stand out but also what you need help with!
- Like Small Biz Go Mobile on Facebook. That way you can easily stay on top of our tech tips, app and devices reviews, and more!
- Follow SmBizGoMobile on Twitter and retweet our message to let everyone know about our contest.
Thats it! The contest is open to anyone worldwide, excluding employees and family members of employees of Mario Armstrong Media, LLC. We’ll be running this contest until 5pm on Friday, July 22nd, so get the word out and get your application in!
Stay Connected While Traveling This Summer with an HTC Inspire 4G Smartphone
Traveling this summer? Stay connected—to work, family, and the Web—with an HTC Inspire 4G smartphone, $20/month Messaging Unlimited plan, and universal car charger from Premier.
(This message brought to you by our sponsor, AT&T. Eligible voice & data plans required. 4G in limited areas. Additional restrictions apply)
The Good News Is That Most Small Businesses are Hiring!
If you’ve never heard of Manta before, then allow me to bring you up to speed. Manta provides a site for small business owners to ‘claim’ their business listing online and establish a basic online presence for free. For business owners unable to produce or fund a full-fledged website, Manta provides an easy way to get online. It’s no fly-by-night operation either: according to comScore, Manta is the 3rd largest small business info site. An additional service, Manta Connect, allows business owners to network, and ask each other questions in an active forum of like-minded professionals. With almost half a million business owners already on Manta, the site is quickly making a name for itself as a destination for small business owners.
Because Manta has an active community of small business owners, they have a unique ability to be able to survey their users about trends within the industry. Their March survey, the results of which we recently released, asked 1,016 small business owners—892 of whom have fewer than 10 employees—about hiring trends and practices. The good news? Small businesses are hiring! Read More
Look Out: HP TouchPad coming July 1st!
Unfortunately for business owners trying to decide between Apple’s bestselling iPad, one of the many Android tablets now on the market, or RIM’s PlayBook, a strong new contender in the tablet market is about to arrive: HP’s TouchPad will be hitting store shelves on July 1st at $499 for the Wi-Fi only base model with 16GB of storage, or $599 for an upgraded 32GB.
The TouchPad will be running the latest version of webOS, technology, which is what HP hopes will set it apart from the competition by offering a seamless multi-tasking experience, the Adobe Flash Player, and promises of tight-knit integration with the forthcoming Pre3 smartphone.
Pre-orders for the device begin in a mere 10 days on June 19th, and you can check out HP’s press release and our previous coverage for more details. According to the press release, A 3G version through AT&T seems to be in the works as well.