Category: Small Biz Go Mobile

The Best Posts of 2011

by Shy Mukerjee

What a wild ride. When Mario brought me in to take over editorial duties on this blog in March, I had no idea what I was in for. But getting to work with some amazing writers, being afforded the opportunity appear weekly on Mario’s radio show, and getting to play with the latest tech has made it a completely rewarding experience. And we’re just getting started: if you thought 2011 was a big year for us, just wait until you see what we’ve got in store for 2012.

Today marks Small Biz Go Mobile’s last day of publication this year, and we’re all looking forward to taking a couple of weeks to spend time with our family and loved ones. But until we resume on January 2nd (before quickly scuttling off to Las Vegas for International CES 2012!), I thought it would be a good time to recap some of our top posts of the year for any visitors over the holiday break.

Whether you’re a small business or even a solo entrepreneur, you’re bound to find a great tip you missed this year. Read More

Smart Everything: How a Digital World Makes Life Better For All

by David Egger

David Egger is Lead Marketing Manager for AT&T’s IRU (Individual Responsibility User) Mobility Programs. You can find more blog content from David and other experts on emerging technologies and mobile application on the AT&T Networking Exchange Blog. AT&T has sponsored the following blog post.


I love a good entrepreneurial idea, so I regularly spend time at Kickstarter, looking at projects that could be a whole new Fortune 500, or just something really cool I want for my bike. But one project really got me thinking about the future of technology within our products… and I’m not talking about products we usually associate with technology. Twine aims to provide a simple set of sensors with a WiFi connection in a 2.5” package to enable you to make various parts of your life smarter.

Twine aims to include a temperature sensor and accelerometer, but would also like to include a magnetic switch, moisture sensor and a breakout board to connect future sensors and provide wired power. It’s amazing to think such a small package could have so many sensors and allow for so much hardware intelligence, but remember that your smartphone has most of these, along with a big screen, powerful CPU and wireless radios.

These kind of miniaturized, low-power, low-cost sensors will enable a new gold rush of smart devices.  Read More

Finding the perfect 4G Tablet for my Dad

by Justin Alcon

My mother called me a few days ago with a simple question:

“What kind of tablet should I buy for your father’s Christmas present?”

Should be easy to answer, right?  But, she had a few requirements:

– Must be 4G
– Large, bright screen
– Easy to use
– less than $400

And with that list, the pool of qualified applicants dwindled significantly.  However, this list of “must-haves” might also need some examination.  First off, we’ve explored previously in this blog that 4G doesn’t always mean “faster”.  I explained to my mother that, while dad may want the fanciest new technology, it might not actually provide a tangible benefit.  Unfortunately, I could hear her shrug through the phone; “Well, you know your father!” Read More

Google Voice extends Free Calling Through 2012

by BrothaTech

From the Google Voice Blog:

As the holiday season approaches, we’re happy to announce that we’ve extended free domestic calls within the US and Canada for 2012…

Call it Google’s gift to all of us small businesses who depend on Google Voice as our primary number that we use to make us look “professional” when somebody calls my office phone (which is also my smartphone). If you’re not familiar, Google Voice is a service that offers free phone numbers and free calls over a data connection that can be forwarded to any phone. Additional features include, text messaging, voicemail (audible and transcribed to text), and custom greetings.

To me, Google Voice is a great disguise to give callers the perception that I have an official office phone. Read More

Get a Free Trial of a Great App w/ Tech Purchase from @Staples

by Shy Mukerjee

Out of all the great deals from @Staples this holiday season, my favorite has to be the #techdoutsweeps. After all, what would be more amazing than getting a $2,300 tech makeover from the man himself, Mario Armstrong? But after that, this new deal at Staples where you can get a free trial of a hot app with a tech purchase has to be my second favorite. Check this out.

Buy a tech item at Staples this holiday season and you get a free trial of a great app. Here are some of the featured offers Staples is sharing:

  • SiriusXM: One month free trial online (Great for listening to the Mario Armstrong show!)
  • Staples CopyCenter: 40% off print at Staples.com (Save on prints & copies!)
  • Wall Street Journal: 60 day online trial (Stay on top of the latest news!)
  • GoToMeeting: 60 day trial (Collaborate online better!)
  • Dropbox: 3 months free (Need I say more?)

The way it works is, first you buy a qualifying tech product online or in-store. Then you get an Easy Rebate which you activate online at stapleseasyrebates.com. After you’ve been emailed your unique access code, you simply head on over to Staples.com/techapps to claim your trial. The hardest part is figuring out which trial to take advantage of, since there are so many great options!

SOL Republic Delivers impressive quality for under $100

by Justin Alcon

I recently got a demo pair of SOL Republic Tracks headphones and I couldn’t have been more excited.  Honestly, I felt like a kid on Christmas morning when I unboxed them.  Everyone with a mobile lifestyle knows that headphones are a vital part of your day.  As a New Yorker, I wear headphones a lot; like, really a lot.  I wear them on the subway, in the gym, at my desk, and just about anytime that I take a phone call.

Because I do all of these different things with my headphones, I need durability; but I also want something that is comfortable and cool-looking.  It would be a bonus if they could also control my iPhone, and maybe even actually produce good sound.  At the same time, I don’t want to break the bank buying headphones.  It’s hard to explain to your wife that she has to wait to replace the dishwasher because your headphones make the latest Ratatat single sound REALLY awesome.

I’ve got to say, these Tracks headphones had me covered on all counts. Read More

CONTEST: eReaders for Everyone from Small Biz Go Mobile!

by Shy Mukerjee

Last time we ran an eReader contest, we got hundreds of responses. We just picked the winners (to be announced as soon as we can confirm names & addresses), and we’re excited to send out some great loot.

Not willing to rest on our laurels, however, the whole Mario Armstrong and Small Biz Go Mobile team is digging deep this time to offer not one but TWO of our favorite eReading devices. That’s right, two eReaders, one contest. Oh, and there’s a killer Bluetooth Speaker set for your car as well as some cases in the mix as well, so your chances of winning something are great! Read More

LiveScribe Echo a few weeks later

by Justin Alcon

A while back I wrote about my LiveScribe Echo smart-pen.  At the time, I was totally enamoured with the tool, and it was perfect for use at my job.  Now it’s a few weeks later and I’ve changed jobs, and I have to say the Echo smart-pen is just as awesome as it was when I first got it.  As a matter of fact, I’ve found a great new use for the pen.

First of all, the device has held up really well.  After weeks of daily use, it looks and functions like new.  The capacity is impressive, since I still haven’t come close to filling the 8 gig limit of this pen and I’ve already logged quite a bit of Pencast footage on it. Read More

Evernote Hello Offers a Quick Way to Remember People

by BrothaTech

Evernote touts itself as the “remember everything” service that lets you store all kinds of information and access it anywhere. Now you could do what I do when I am working a room at a networking event and snap pictures of business cards using one app, and then have that app export the cards to Evernote. Or, you can try out Evernote Hello for iPhone that lets you build a quick profile of people you meet so you can remember more about a person other than just how cool you think their business card looks.

In short, EN Hello helps you remember people you meet by adding an image or two of the person, contact information like phone #, email & Twitter handle, and a location where you met, or pull contact info from a meeting scheduled on your calendar. All this information is stored in Evernote and you can choose to send your contact information when you meet someone. Keep reading to find out how to use this great new service. Read More

Struggling With Your Typing? Pick Up SwiftKey X for 10 Cents

by Shy Mukerjee

To celebrate their 10 billionth app download, Google is offering some of their hottest apps for a dime this week. While they’re mostly games, art and music apps (all worth pickup up as well, including the brand new Android port of the popular game Minecraft), one app in particular stands out as a great deal for the mobile professional: SwiftKey X.

While I’ve always found typing on Apple devices to be a breeze, Android keyboards are a crapshoot. While the Gingerbread keyboard was a huge improvement on the phone side, and the Ice Cream Sandwich one even better, plenty of users want real predictive text that can help them write sentences not simply complete words.

SwiftKey X isn’t perfect and won’t completely change your life if you’re struggling with your phone, but with over 23,000 five star reviews in the Android marketplace it’s clearly a welcome addition to a lot of user’s mobile arsenals. For a mere 10 cents, you owe it to yourself to try.

LINK: Purchase SwiftKeyX from the Android Marketplace.