Author: BrothaTech

Tablets are all about Mobile Productivity

by BrothaTech

As a techie who bought both the iPad and the iPad 2, I get this question often: “Why do I need a tablet device?” The quick answer is “you don’t.” Tablets, just like any other business tool, are merely aids to help you get things done, but not a necessity. Now a better question for a person to ask me (Certified Tablet Advocate) is “What benefit do you get from using a Tablet?”

Tablets are all about mobile productivity. Laptops and even NetBooks are pretty fast and portable these days. So to whip your laptop out of your bag, turn it on, wait for it to boot, and wait for it to connect to a WiFi signal; or whip out your own MiFi device or connect to your hotspot feature built into your phone is getting…faster? Or you can grab your tablet – chances are it’s already on and connected, and you are off to doing whatever you need to do in half the time.

Now don’t get me wrong, tablets are no where near completely replacing a laptop. There are still some tasks that need raw computing power to accomplish; but, tablets are changing the way we do business in general. The advancements in web and mobile apps/services, cloud computing/storage, and networking/communication/collaboration practices are all starting to make it very easy to handle a great deal of tasks with just an internet connection.

So if you can conduct a team/client meeting using apps like Webex, network with associates or colleagues over Yammer, create and send official documents or invoices with Documents To Go, organize and sync files with Dropbox, manage business accounts and finances with Kashoo, and get paid faster with Square…with just access to the internet and a tablet device; going through the process of hoping on a traditional computer in many cases is just not necessary in this new age of computing…And don’t even get me started on the cool ways businesses are using tablets to display their artwork, check guests in at hotels and restaurants, entertain patients at medical offices, etcetera.

In conclusion, you have to do what’s best for your business. A tablet may not be in the immediate fiscal budget; but the productivity and mobility advantages are real and getting more evident as more companies and consumers start to “buy in” to the whole mobile computing era that our society is QUICKLY moving into.

– Terrance Gaines, C.T.A.

SoundNote app for iPad: Write, Scribble, and Record Meetings all at Once

by BrothaTech

Sitting in meetings is a pain. Trying to take notes in a meeting is probably worse. Trying to make sense of those notes after the meeting is hands-down unbearable. The SoundNote app for iPad looks to alleviate your stress by combining the ability to write notes, sketch objects and illustrations, and make an audio recording all in one app.

Most mobile note-taking apps only allow you to either type/draw notes or sketch objects/illustrations. SoundNote lets you do both on the same page with it’s powerful drawing tool. If you make a mistake or need add to a sketch, you can tap it twice to edit your strokes. Tap the object just once to select it, and drag it to wherever you want on the page or delete it entirely. You can use iOS finger gestures to scroll and zoom objects. If you still want to add traditional notes, you can use the virtual keyboard to add notes on the same page.

Just in case your shorthand note-taking is not fast enough on your iPad, you can record audio of the meeting so you don’t miss an important detail while you’re trying to draw the perfect arrow. Instead of playing the entire recording back just to locate one detail you missed, tap a word in your notes that and SoundNote jumps to the corresponding place in the recording. If you’re worried about space on your iOS device, a hour of recording takes up only about 25mb. If you’re in a meeting longer than a hour, recording space on your iPad is the LEAST of your problems.

Need to share notes with your co-workers, team members, or clients, you send them out via email directly from your iPad or download the notes to your Mac or PC to backup or for organizational purposes. At $4.99, SoundNote isn’t cheap as far as mobile apps are concerned, but with all the functionality that’s built into this app, at least your notes won’t suffer from your inability to enjoy those bright and early Monday-morning meetings.

Frenzy for Mac Adds Social Network Layer to Dropbox

by BrothaTech

If you’ve been following Small Biz Go Mobile for awhile, then you should know that I am a strong advocate for the Dropbox cloud storage service. I can sync all my business and personal files across all of my devices and sync/share my files with other users whether they use Dropbox or not. Dropbox is pretty popular with the masses as well. Other mobile, web, and computer apps/services are starting to add Dropbox integration as well.

One such service is called Frenzy and it essentially wraps a small social network around users by giving them the ability to have a discussion about the files they share via Dropbox. Now, before I get you all excited and ready to try out Frenzy, you need a Dropbox account (get a free 2GB account here) and Frenzy is currently only available for Mac laptops and desktops…But, I would assume the developer(s) behind Frenzy would more than gladly add a mobile app and Windows support if there is a demand.

If you fit the minimum system requirements, and work with a group who shares Dropbox files, Frenzy may just bridge the gap between your Dropbox files and the gobs of text messages, IM’s, and emails you send about those files. Simply download Frenzy, select which shared Dropbox folders you want to use, and any files or links can be shared by using the control+option+S button sequence on your Mac. The Frenzy window will pop up, insert your file, and offer a window to add text, a description…whatever it you want to say about the file.

All of your files and conversations live in Dropbox and the cloud, so no additional space is used when sharing files between folders. Additionally, Frenzy works offline, so if you do manage fire off a couple of files while off the grid, your files will be sent as soon as your connect to a network.

So instead of sending an email with an attachment for the recipient to open, download, and save to a Dropbox folder; instead of sharing a file, then hopping on your smartphone or switching to IM to send a message about the file; Frenzy can be your one-stop-shop for Dropbox file sharing/communication.

The Frenzy Mac client is currently in beta, so head on over to the developer’s website to download while it’s still monetarily advantageous (read: free).

BlackBerry PlayBook Tablet is Announced – Small Business Ready?

by BrothaTech


The Tablet game is finally starting to heat up.

Next up is the BlackBerry PlayBook 7″ inch Tablet device set to hit stores April 19th. BlackBerry dubs the PlayBook as “the world’s first professional-grade tablet”. The pricing structure follows:

• 16GB Wi-Fi, $499
• 32GB Wi-Fi, $599
• 64GB Wi-Fi, $699

Althought it’s not listed initially for sale on the 19th, the PlayBook will support HSPA, LTE, and WiMax networks. In other words, BlackBerry will offer WiFi + 4G device configurations in the near future, if not at launch.

Professional-grade? The BlackBerry PlayBook boasts some serious power with its 1GHZ dual-core processor, 1GB of internal ram, and the nicest multitasking functionality around. The PlayBook will have out-of-the-box BlackBerry Enterprise Server (aka BES) capabilities so your company’s IT department can lock down the device for corporate use. Outside of that, it will depend on the mobile app developers to support the PlayBook with some serious productivity apps to make this the “go-to” device for the small business crowd.

Most small businesses don’t have access to B.E.S. or know how to implement it; so we rely on mobile apps to access, secure, and backup our data when we are not in front of our primary computer. BlackBerry smartphones have a nice suite of apps to support mobility, so let’s hope those same apps are ported… or, better yet, are enhanced for the PlayBook.

Finally, the PlayBook runs a tablet-specific OS that should give current BlackBerry smartphone users a reason to check out the tablet. New features, functionality, and user experience should draw in the BlackBerry faithful and give them hope as to what their phones may be able to do in the near future.

The BlackBerry Tablet is available for preorder via Best Buy, and will go on sale at the “Big 3” US wireless carriers, and other locations on April 19th. check out the BlackBerry PlayBook site for more features, specifications, and availability details.

Jailbreakers Beware of Your Tethering Activity-Don’t lose your unlimited data plan

by BrothaTech

Word is that time will soon be up for those of you who are using the popular MyWi app to turn your iPhone into a hotspot for other devices.

If you are one of the those type of users, you may have seen a letter to you suggesting that you opt-in to one of their data tethering plans. Failure to do so just may prompt AT&T to do it for you. Below is the partial letter with instructions on how to bring your plan up to snuff:

Dear [Name of Account Holder],

We’ve noticed your service plan may need updating.

Many AT&T customers use their smartphones as a broadband connection for other devices, like laptops, netbooks or other smartphones– a practice commonly known as tethering. Tethering can be an efficient way for our customers to enjoy the benefits of AT&T’s mobile broadband network and use more than one device to stay in touch with important people and information. To take advantage of this feature, we require that in addition to a data plan, you also have a tethering plan.
Our records show that you use this capability, but are not subscribed to our tethering plan…

…If we don’t hear from you, we’ll plan to automatically enroll you into DataPro 4GB after March 27, 2011. The new plan – whether you sign up on your own or we automatically enroll you – will replace your current smartphone data plan, including if you are on an unlimited data plan.

If you discontinue tethering, no changes to your current plan will be required.

The letter also outlines AT&T’s current pricing structure for tethering plans and offers key advantages to using the plans.

In the end, Federal regulators have said that jailbreaking is not illegal, it can however, according to Apple, void your warranty. And be advised, you are at risk if you decide to jailbreak your phone, and the companies reserve the right to treat you differently if you choose to do so. So opting into one of AT&T’s data plans for small business can keep you on its “nice list”.

GetContact.Info: Add Analytics To Business Cards with QR Code

by BrothaTech

Adding a QR Code to your business card that allows people to scan the code with their smartphone camera and a QR Code reader app is genius. The ability to track actual scans and manage multiple QR Code contacts is on a another level entirely.

This free service from GetContact.Info allows users to create an online profile using their contact information. That profile is then embedded onto a QR Code that you can either download and add to a business card design, or use the free business card template, complete with your contact info and code, to create your own business card. You’re just not limited to business cards either. You can add the code to stickers, t-shirts…anything.

Embedded in your code from GetContact.Info are analytics that display data on when and where your card/code was scanned, in addition to receiving email notifications when your cards are scanned.

When a user scans your code, they are taken to mobile-friendly site where they have the option to add their contact info to your account, or download your vcard directly into their phone’s address book. Note: iPhone users don’t quite have this ability yet, but you can opt to send the vcard via email, then add the vcard from the message once it’s received.

Since GetContact.Info is a free web application, any gadget with a web browser can create and edit contact profiles, while any mobile device with a QR Code Reader app can get your contact info by just scanning your code.

People are still mentally trained to ask for a business card, but with your info embedded onto a QR code, they can get your contact info right into their phone just by scanning your code, instead of the normal “throw your business card in the junk drawer of their office along with the other poor [business card] souls.”

iPhone Hotspot gives Wifi-only iPad 2 GPS Capabilities

by BrothaTech

I had the opportunity to visit the special Apple pop-up store that ONLY sold the iPad 2 and accessories down in Austin Texas this past weekend during SXSWi 2011. The line wasn’t bad and there was ample stock, so being the early adopter that I am, I picked up a black 16GB wifi-only iPad 2.

Features-wise, this was a downgrade for me because I currently own (and plan to sell) a 32GB 3G iPad with a data plan. At any time, I could whip out my iPad “Classic” and locate my exact location via the Maps app, and get directions (no voice navigation) to anywhere. Out of the box, my new iPad 2 can’t do this due to the lack of GPS in the wifi-only version that is inherit in the radio of its 3G counterpart.

On the other hand, with the recent release of the Verizon iPhone 4 and the iOS 4.3 upgrade for AT&T version, any user that opts-in for the feature can use their phone as a wifi hotspot for the iPad 2. As a result, it has been discovered by Cult of Mac that if tethered to an iPhone 4 with the hotspot feature, a non-3G iPad 2 can “borrow” the GPS signal from the phone for location information. According to Cult of Mac, it hasn’t been tested on wifi-only iPad Classics, but in theory, it is a possibility.

In the video below is a brief demo of the wifi-only iPad 2 GPS trick in action:

I have been using the hotspot feature for my MacBook Pro, iPad Classic and my iPad 2 and it’s pretty fast. With the added zip of the dual-core A4 processor housed in the iPad 2, my guess is that the wifi-only GPS hotspot trick works pretty well, even if it may not be in real-time.

So if you’re like me and was of the suckers advocates who went out and bought an iPad 2 this past weekend, you will be in for a free GPS treat if you plan to use your iPhone 4 as a hotspot if you didn’t pony up for an 3G iPad 2.

Test it out, come back, and drop a line in the comments section to let us know how the feature works.

Square’s CEO responds to VeriFone’s Security Claims

by BrothaTech

Yesterday, I reported on VeriFone’s claims that Square’s free credit card reader’s inability to encrypt credit card information is a serious security issue that needed to be dealt with. It’s only fair that I also report Square’s response to those claims.

In a letter from Square’s CEO, Jack Dorsey, posted on the company’s website, he noted that the information encrypted on the black strip on the back of any credit card is similar to the information located on the front of the card in the sense that anybody who you has your credit card, has all the information needed to steal and use your card, regardless of the type of technology used.

Any technology—an encrypted card reader, phone camera, or plain old pen and paper—can be used to “skim” or copy numbers from a credit card. The waiter you hand your credit card to at a restaurant, for example, could easily steal your card details if he wanted to—no technology required. If you provide your credit card to someone who intends to steal from you, they already have everything they need: the information on the front of your card.

He also points out that if in fact your credit card information is stolen, banks will go through the customary practice of reversing any fraudulent charges. In other words, regardless of HOW your credit card information is illegally obtained (from a Square credit card reader, a VeriFone credit card processing machine, or any other POS device), the same rules apply to rectify the situation.

I think the issue with VeriFone is in the lengths they went to out Square’s alleged security issues. The fake Square skimming app, and the video tutorial went beyond informative and instead explained how to steal credit card information using a Square credit card reader. If there is a genuine security issue, more private and secure methods involving ALL parties could have been taken.

In the end, all of this brings up a valid point – with the accessibility, ease of use, and coolness that technology brings, you still have to be careful with who you entrust your information with…financial or otherwise. The same technology that makes our lives easier is the same technology that can become a hassle.

“Pray for the best, but expect the worst”

VeriFone Publicly Calls out Square Security Hole

by BrothaTech

Square is the popular start-up company that allows iPhone and Android users to process credit card transactions using their phone and a free credit card reader dongle that plugs into the phone’s headphone jack.

VeriFone, a leader in credit card transaction technology has a similar product (PayWare Mobile app), but Square’s minimalistic approach to its transactions (no merchant account needed, no credit check, AND a free credit card reader) has proved to be some serious competition for Verifone. I’m not sure if Verifone is generally concerned with the financial security of the consumers, or this is an outright attempt to squash the competition, but VeriFone’s CEO has just released an Open Letter, demonstration video, AND a free fake Square app that allegedly identifies and demonstrates a serious hole in Square’s ability to encrypt credit card information when swiping it through the free credit card reader.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ObGQxSuORy0&feature=player_embedded

Whatever the reasoning, VeriFone is serious about this latest development and has called out Square and notified its credit card processing partners (Visa, MasterCard, American Express, and JP Morgan Chase). The Fake Square App released by Verifone can be downloaded by ANYONE to test this flaw for themselves.

To back VeriFone, if this is true, the possibilities for ANYONE with the Square reader, a decent card skimming application, and your trust can have your credit card information within a matter of seconds. THAT’S A PROBLEM, and could mean curtains for Square, let alone any legal implications if this particular issue goes mainstream.

To back Square, if VeriFone REALLY cared about the consumer’s credit card security, and not its revenue, would it have just given would-be crooks the keys, complete with an instruction manual and tutorial video to steal our credit card information? Additionally, card skimming is not a new trick and companies like VeriFone have been fighting for years, so it’s not solely a Square issue. In the end, it all boils down to customer common sense as it relates to who you hand over your credit card to.

/Rant off

Nonetheless, the implications are serious enough that it needs to be addressed, and so far, mums the word from Square. Hopefully the company’s representatives will respond and restore its customer’s sense of trust and security and continue to offer its products and services to individuals and small businesses who want accept credit card payments, while offering competition to larger credit card processing companies. Competition is always good for the consumer.

[via: Engadget]

BlackBerry Protect App Secures Mobile Information

by BrothaTech

RIM has released its own official mobile device protection app (currently in beta) that can backup and restore data if your BlackBerry is damaged or you switch devices. In addition, the app can completely wipe of your data if your BlackBerry falls into the wrong hands.

Small business owners may not have concrete IT policies in place for their device(s). So it’s not uncommon that users secure their mobile data with a simple device password. Backing up and restoring user data may consist of hooking the device up to a computer on an irregular basis. With the BlackBerry Protect app, BlackBerry users can actually create sound mobile security practices to ensure their data is there when they need it and out of reach for others.

Some of the features of BlackBerry Protect include:

  • Wireless Backup and Restore of contacts, calendar, memos, tasks, browser bookmarks, and text messages based on a multitude of scheduling options.
  • Incremental backups: Backup only what has changed since last backup
  • GPS capabilities so you can locate your device on a map
  • Find your device via a Loud Alert function
  • Wipe all contents of your device online

BlackBerry Protect is a free download from BlackBerry App World. Note: BlackBerry Protect does not work in conjuction with BlackBerry Enterprise Server. So check with your organization’s IT department if you’re using a company-issued device.

And remember to always backup ALL of your data!