Author: BrothaTech

Record and Share Meeting Minutes Online with Minutes.io

by BrothaTech

Me, Myself, and I all in a meeting togetherWho REALLY likes taking meeting minutes? No one (present company included) but it is one of those necessary evils that needs to get done to give meeting attendees a reference as to what were the key meeting points. Now, there are a bajillion ways you could take meeting minutes. It doesn’t have to be pretty, it just has to get done. With the Minutes.io web app, you can make recording minutes painless and sharing minutes instant.

There is no need to set up an account, verify an email address, or subscribe to anything to take advantage of this free little web app. Simply visit Minutes.io, enter the meeting information (meeting name, date, place, attendees, and minute taker) and you’re ready to start. Recording minutes is list-based, and the web interface gives you a couple of options to categorize your minutes:

  • To Do
  • Okay
  • Info
  • Idea

You can then describe the minute, designate a owner or responsible party of the minute recorded, and add a due date. Once you’re done adding minutes, you have the option of printing or sharing the minutes via email. If you choose to email, Minutes.io will populate an email message complete with your name, email address, addresses of other attendees an a nice little message in the body of the email.

The cool thing about Minutes.io is the fact that since it’s a clean and straightforward web app, any device with a web browser can create meetings minutes. So if you are out and about and remembered that you are the designated minutes taker for the meeting you totally forgot about, you can get the job done via your smartphone or tablet device.

Minutes.io is free and ready for you to try out now. So check it out and see how easy it is to record meeting minutes. It just may make recording meeting minutes fun [/sarcasm]

GoPayment NFC transactions Demoed at Google I/O Conference

by BrothaTech

This mobile transactions battle between Square, Intuit, and VeriFone is heating up! Looks as if Intuit just raised the stakes with the demonstration of its GoPayment mobile credit card processing application sporting new NFC (Near-Field Communication) technology that could set it apart from competitors in the market.

The current GoPayment system consists of a credit card reader that you plug into your smartphone’s headphone jack to swipe a customer’s credit card to complete a sale. Square and Verifone both have similar devices that you have to physically add to your phone for credit card swiping functionality.

GoPayment Reader
Sqaure Reader
Verifone Reader

Intuit’s GoPayment demonstration at this year’s Google I/O Conference shows NFC technology bring used to transfer credit card data via radio waves, eliminating the need for the actual card or any add-on card reader hardware. During a transaction, a user simply holds their smartphone (with their financial information stored on an accompanying mobile app) near a Point-of-Sale (POS) device or another smartphone that will read your credit card information and complete the sale. Thus making it easier and faster for customers to pay, and simpler for small business owners to get paid.

Innovation is happening rapidly in the mobile payment space and we want to be ready to help the millions of small businesses and consumers we serve benefit from the latest technology.

The mobile tech industry has been investing in the creation/evolution of the virtual wallet for quite sometime. Intuit, with this recent show of support in NFC and mobile credit card transactions, may have just fast-tracked itself to the front of the race. Look out for more mobile device manufacturers to start pumping out NFC-enabled gadgets like the Google Nexus S currently on the market (and what Intuit used for its demo) that can support this technology towards the end of 2011 and well into 2012.

[via: Business Wire]

Google’s Cloud Laptops Announced at I/O Conference

by BrothaTech

It looks as if Google is ready to let loose its Chromebooks on the masses. What’s so different about a Chromebook? The fact that the operating system, security options and programs/apps are all stored in Google’s cloud. This means that there really is nothing that will actually be saved to the device, which makes for a faster computing experience (8 seconds to boot up according to Google). The Chromebooks can connect either via WiFi or you can add a 3G option that will make the device self-reliant when it comes to a network/data connection.

At its I/O conference, Google has announced the first two Chromebook models that will go on sale at Amazon and Best Buy starting June 15th. The first is made by Samsung and it’s a 12″ model with a dual-core processor and an HD webcam that will cost around $429 for WiFi only and $499 if you opt for the built-in 3G (monthly data charges apply).

The second device is a slightly smaller and lighter Acer version that has almost the same features but with the addition of an HDMI port. The Acer model is WiFi-only and will cost $349. Google will also offer Chromebooks for Business and Education uses that add extra protection, security, and IT policy compatibility.

Maybe it’s just me, but it sounds as if Google’s Chromebooks, with their smaller and lighter frames, faster boot times, and the ability to save/share/sync ALL of your data to the cloud, might just give the uber-fashionable tablet device a run for its money…and I didn’t even mention how cheaper they are to the leading tablet device.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVqe8ieqz10&feature=player_embedded

Your BlackBerry can STILL make Conference Calls

by BrothaTech

As interactive as we are via Skype, Twitter, Facebook, and instant messaging, there are times when you will actually have to make a phone call. Weird right? But that doesn’t mean your collaboration and productivity has to take a nose dive if one of your colleagues, business partners, or clients can’t “connect” using new-age methods.

Three-way calling and/or conference calls are still the sure-fire way to make sure everybody is present and everybody receives all of the information if you can’t meet face to face. As funny as this sounds, with all the technology packed into our smartphones that we take advantage of to do a number of things unimaginable by previous generations, how many people actually knows how to make a conference call on their smartphone?

The folks over at CrackBerry.com have a cool tutorial that breaks down how to successfully make a three-way/conference call on a BlackBerry mobile device that includes:

– Dialing and joining calls
– How to deal with dropped calls
– Swapping calls
– Carrier limitations (how many can be on a conference call)

…and other tips and tricks to increase your phone call productivity:

BlackBerry 101: Conference Calls and Three-Way Calling

In today’s age of social networking, instant messaging, video chat, etc. you would be hard pressed to HAVE to use your smartphone to create or join an actual conference call to conduct business. Old school yes, but; just like anything else, technology can fail. So it’s nice to be able to rely on the old school just in case the new school decides it’s “too cool” to work with you in the middle of an important meeting that you need to attend while you are on the go.

Dell Venue Pro Running Windows Phone 7 Lands on AT&T

by BrothaTech

One of the premier smartphones that was used to show off the new Windows Phone 7 platform in its infancy was the Dell Venue Pro. The combination of the full AMOLED touchscreen and vertical slide-out QWERTY keyboard, in addition to a 1GHz processor and 720p video recording capabilities, had WP7 early adopters salivating over what the platform and the device could do. The phone is sleek, black overall with chrome trim and has scratch resistant Gorilla Glass. Overall, a very professional-looking device if you ask me. And let’s not forget the attractive WP7 platform filled with Microsoft Suite capabilities that will ensure your Word Documents, Excel Files, PowerPoint presentations, and Outlook email (and XBox Live profile when you’re ready to close up shop) syncs effortlessly with your mobile device.

Once the Venue Pro hit the streets, it was only available on the T-Mobile network and exclusively from Dell. Now, AT&T has decided to make the device compatible on its network. Now, AT&T customers will be more than happy to snag the Venue Pro and give the WP7 platform a spin.

You can pick up the Dell Venue Pro on a 2 year contract for only $99 bucks ($500 unlocked). I checked AT&T’s website and it doesn’t list the device, so if you are thinking about giving it a try, it looks as if the Venue Pro is still being sold exclusively via Dell’s website.

Zipcar App for Android takes your car reservation experience mobile

by BrothaTech

Zipcar’s claim to fame is that you can go online and reserve a car, find its location, and use a special card to unlock the doors and go on with your business – all without speaking to anyone in person. Great for on the go entrepreneurs and business owners who may just be in town for a meeting and in need of some quick transportation.

Based on a study conducted late last year, most Zipcar customers are smartphone owners and a large number of those surveyed owned Android devices. The company put two and two together and decided to create an Android app to complement the iPhone app currently on the market. Now, the entire car reservation process is available on Android smartphones and tablet computers. In addition to managing your Zipcar accounts, making reservations, and locating your vehicle via the Google Maps app, the new Android app allows users to beep their horn remotely to further identify the car.  You can even lock and unlock your Zipcar’s doors right from your phone!

The Zipcar app is currently in the public beta phase, but I don’t see it staying there long as functionality like this is what many people envision their smartphones being able to achieve. I predict that rental car companies will follow suit and offering their own mobile apps that can handle a number of functions that normally requite a visit to the customer service desk and a wait in line. No more being stuck without a car while the customer ahead of you makes the life changing decision between an economy, standard, or full-size car.

RIM Reveals native PlayBook Email, Calendar, Contacts

by BrothaTech

Close call! It looks like “essential” native apps for email, calendar, contacts, tasks, and other mobile apps will be coming to the newly launched BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet.

Currently, PlayBook users who want to view/manage this data via their tablet are tied to their BlackBerry smartphones. In order to take advantage of those services, you have to use the new BlackBerry Bridge technology that pairs the PlayBook via Bluetooth to a BB smartphone for greater functionality.

Today during the BlackBerry World Conference, some of the former mentioned services were demoed without being paired to a BB smartphone. What does this mean? Essentially, people using the PlayBook don’t necessarily need a BB smartphone, or depend solely on web apps to access these services. I have no beef whatsoever with web apps, but native apps use the device they are designed for a little better than a web app that’s created to provide functionality for a number of devices, IMHO. All you need is a data connection (PlayBook 3G/4G model or WiFi) and you will be on the same playing field as other tablet platforms with native apps.

Furthermore, if wireless carriers all of the sudden decided they don’t particularly like the idea of PlayBook users piggy-backing off of a BB smartphone’s data connection and pulled the plug; having native apps means that you still get your email, calendar appointments, contact lists, etc., while RIM and the wireless carriers hash it out.

If you are a BlackBerry Tablet owner, or looking for an Apple iPad alternative, I think the BlackBerry PlayBook, once it’s retrofitted with “essential” native apps and some other OS tweaks will be a serious contender come this summer.

But we want to hear from you. Is the lack of native email, calendar, contacts, tasks, memos, and similar apps/services stopping you from pulling the trigger on the new BlackBerry PlayBook?

DROPitTO.me – Securely receive files from anyone to your Dropbox

by BrothaTech

You all should know by now that I am a huge Dropbox fan. So you can imagine my surprise when I discovered the ever-growing list of apps and services that utilize Dropbox.

One of the apps that stuck out was the DROPitTOme online service lets you request files from anyone that will automatically be uploaded to your Dropbox account. Now, if you’re going from Dropbox user to Dropbox user, file sharing is included in the basic account. But, if you need a file from somebody who has never heard of Dropbox (shame on them), the quickest way to receive a file I guess would be via email. Most people with a smartphone have access to their email accounts on the go, and most people know how to send an email.

But, if you’re dealing a user who doesn’t use Dropbox AND wants to send a huge file, that’s where DROPitTOme comes in. You can send your upload link to anyone and they can add files up to 75mb directly to your Dropbox account – Most other email clients only allow up to 10mb per email attachment. DITM will also create a separate folder that won’t mess with your current Dropbox structure.

Once you’ve registered an account and linked to Dropbox, DITM will generate a special upload link (http://dropitto.me/username) that’s secured with a special upload password that you assign to. Once the link and password is accepted, users can start to upload any kind of file Dropbox currently accepts. upload/transfer is crazy fast, and you will be sent an email with the uploaded file details when the transfer is complete. Files are available immediately to access via the web, connected computers or (wait for it) any smartphone or mobile device connected to your Dropbox account.

That upload link stays the same no matter who you give it to and there is no time limit/timeout period to when a user with your link/pass can upload files. That may be a good or bad thing, so you have the ability to change the upload password at any time, or toggle upload capabilities on and off.

My only gripe is there is no bulk upload option, so you will have to upload those files one at a time. But for free (or a donation), what more can you ask for from a quick and easy way to receive files that are automatically added to your Dropbox account for instant access via a smartphone?

I thought so. So visit the DROPitTOme site and let us know what you think in the comment section.

Android Owners get a Native Google Docs App

by BrothaTech

Nothing speaks to mobile productivity more than the ability to access, edit, and share documents no matter where you are (or what device you are using). The Google Docs online document storage/sharing service has a mobile-friendly site where mobile device users can do most if not all of the above mentioned. But nothing says “You’ve arrived” nowadays more than an actual app, and Android owners now can bask in the glory that is the new Google Docs app.

The short and sweet of the native app versus a mobile-friendly site is that you have greater functionality since a native app takes advantage of the technology built inside your phone versus more “universal” features for multiple devices. The Google Docs app for Android does just that. In addition to being easier to search and filter content, edit documents on the fly and share them with anybody in your phone’s contact list, The Google Docs app adds greater functionality that can’t be done via a web app or mobile-friendly site. Read More

BlackBerry PlayBook App: Track Shipments with The Big Package

by BrothaTech

Looks like we have another mobile device to write about. So we might as well get cracking on the BlackBerry Playbook tablet and find some cool and useful apps that you and your business can benefit from if you decide to spring for the gadget.

The Big Package app goes out to all of those “e-tailers”, ecommerce folks, and mom-and-pop shops who routinely ship packages to customers. The Big Package will track all of your UPS, FedEx and USPS packages in the same place. No need to go to each vendor website and type in the tracking number every time you want to see the latest update.

The main features of The Big Package are that you can save multiple tracking numbers; and add custom names to tracking numbers for quick retrieval every time you open the app. Unlike your average tracking sites that just spit out text results, The Big Package shows your shipment en route via Google Maps in addition to a details page that offers specific notes about your shipment. In other words, The Big Package doesn’t just tell you where you package is, it also shows you too!

Even if you’re not a business that ships products and just obsess over where your package is the second after you have purchased it, The Big Package is a free app to download to the BlackBerry PlayBook. So click this link to download the app and rest assured that you know exactly where your packages are.