Category: Top Story

Show Your Small Business Cares: Help A Local School By Pledging Not to Text and Drive

by Katherine Elsasser

my business cares AT&T It Can WaitWe all know that texting and driving is dangerous: according to the National Safety Council, over 100,000 accidents each year involve drivers who are texting. According to the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration, over 3,000 people were killed in 2011 in distracted-driving related accidents, and texting while driving is the most dangerous distraction of all. That’s why the “It Can Wait” campaign was launched to remind people that no matter how important a text might seem, it’s not more important than safety!

texting while driving crash statistics from My Business Cares, AT&T and It Can WaitAs an extension of the “It Can Wait” campaign, AT&T has created a way for small businesses to show that they stand against texting and driving while helping their communities. They’ve created a “My Business Cares” sweepstakes so that small business owners and employees can take the pledge not to text while driving. When they take the pledge a local middle or high school (of the business or employee’s choice) will be entered to win $1,000, plus an in-school assembly educating students on the dangers of texting while driving. Given that 75% of teenagers say that texting while driving is common among their friends, that’s an important lesson for students to hear.

AT&T My Business Cares It Can Wait Pledge

Many small businesses rely on the benefits afforded by mobile devices. But when those devices are used while driving, employees can put themselves and others at risk. “My Business Cares” is a great opportunity for small businesses to send a powerful message to employees about the dangers of texting and driving, and gives individuals an opportunity to show they care while encouraging others to do the same.

Small business owners and employees can enter the sweepstakes via the “My Business Cares” tab on AT&T’s Facebook page. Simply take the pledge, enter your contact info, and select the local school you’d like to help.

The new iPad Pricing scheme – including the iPad Air and the iPad mini with Retina display

by Shy Mukerjee

Apple today annonced a range of new iPads. The top-of-the-line iPad 4 has been replaced by the newer iPad Air at the same price point, starting at $499.

The now 3 year old iPad 2 is sticking around at $399.

Also at $399, you can get the new iPad mini with Retina display.

And at the low end, getting a $30 price drop, is last year’s iPad mini at just $299.

Liveblog: Apple Special Event – New iPads and more!

by Shy Mukerjee

Apple is widely expected to launch the new iPad 5 today, as well as the latest version of their desktop operating system, OS X Mavericks. A refresh of the Macbook Pro line as well as the Mac minis seems likely, and observers are hoping to see a new iPad mini with Retina display as well. But what else will Apple announce? A television? A watch? Something totally unexpected? The best way to find out is to stay tuned to this liveblog for all of the updates!

We’ll be bringing you everything you need to know about Apple’s latest devices live starting at 10am Pacific, 1pm Eastern today. Read More

New iPads Coming Tomorrow! Here’s What We Know…

by Mario Armstrong

Apple couldn’t possibly leave us with just new iPhones! If last year is any indication, tomorrow we’ll be seeing updates to the entire iPad family, including the iPad Mini.

We’ll be running a liveblog tomorrow October 22nd, breaking Apple’s news as it happens. If you sign up for my newsletter today, I’ll drop you an email just as Apple kicks off the event so you can tune in and find out what’s going on!

Plus I’ll be on the TODAY Show tomorrow morning around 7:45 AM Eastern to talk about the new iPad, the new Microsoft Surface 2 that’s also available tomorrow, and what I’m calling the Tablet Wars! Tune into the TODAY Show tomorrow, or check back here on the site to watch my take on this fall’s tablets!

 

apple ipad event announcement

What’s Apple announcing tomorrow? Some speculation…

Now this is just speculation, so don’t hold it against me if it’s not 100% true, but here are a couple thing I expect to hear about tomorrow:

iPad 5:
Yes, there will still be retina display, possibly with improved pixel count. Almost certainly the design is going to change somewhat (lighter and thinner does seem to be Apple’s mantra, after all)! It’s very possible we’ll see updated colors to match the 5s: black, space grey and hopefully gold, which has proven to be the most popular of Apple’s updated color scheme. We’ll probably also see the introduction of the same fingerprint-sensing technology, but don’t quote me on that.

iPad Mini:
Expect an updated version of the iPad mini that will almost certainly include Retina display this time around. Expect color and design updates here too. But don’t expect a significant price cut.

OS Mavericks:
Apple previewed the new OS back in September. Tomorrow we should get a release date and pricing!

New MacBook Pros:
The Air got its update last month, so it only makes sense for Apple to release a revamped version of their premium laptop too. Right now the Pro is available with and without Retina display: it’s very possible that new MacBook Pros will be Retina-display only, especially is Apple can bring the price down on less powerful models.

New Mac Pro:
This is the one I’m really excited for! It feels like forever since Apple updated their desktop line, and the last announcement showed a complete redesign and overhaul for this one. It’s not designed for a casual user, but serious video and graphics editors have been waiting for this for awhile. It won’t be cheap, either. I’m expecting prices to start at over $2,000.

Apple TV:
It’s hard to say whether we’ll see this or not. So hard that I don’t even want to call it…we’ll just have to wait and see!

What are you most excited about? Is there anything you REALLY want to see as part of tomorrow’s announcement? Got questions? Let me know in the comments and I’ll try to get them answered during tomorrow’s liveblog!

Is Your Ecommerce Site Vulnerable to Fraud?

by Katherine Elsasser

How PCI Compliance Helps Protect Your Business from Breaches

Sam Farraj at&t networking exchangeSam Farraj is AVP-Content Delivery & Security Platform, AT&T Global Business Services. You can find more blog content from Sam and other experts on the AT&T Networking Exchange Blog, where this article originally appeared. AT&T has sponsored the following blog post.


Next time you are enjoying the ease of shopping online, remember this: Studies estimate that online retailers lost $3.5 billion to fraud in 2012. On top of that, add the cost of inconvenience to legitimate consumers who either had to notify their credit card companies, or who may not have even spotted the fraudulent charges when they paid their bills. Blogs and social media are cluttered with stories of people whose credit cards were used to make fraudulent purchases, leaving the victims to clean up their accounts.

PCI data security AT&TPCI DSS protects against fraud

How do online retailers work to prevent this fraud? Well, one way is to rely on technical partners who achieve compliance with the Payment Card Industry Standard – Data Security Standard, or PCI DSS.

Read More

Microsoft Surface 2: New and Improved and Maybe Selling

by Katherine Elsasser

surface 2It looks like the new Microsoft Surface models (the Surface 2 and Surface Pro 2) may be gaining more traction this time around: since its debut at a New York event last week the company has announced that its first run has nearly reached sold-out status in their online store. However dubious some may find their claims, the new features on the Surface 2 may justify the hype. (And to be fair, it is unclear whether stock in other stores, such as Best Buy or even Microsoft’s retails locations, is affected by the pre-order mania).

Read More

New Samsung Galaxy Note 3 Launches with Same Giant Screen and Improved S-Pen Technology

by Katherine Elsasser

Samsung galaxy note 3 Fall is when the big device manufacturers release their latest offerings in preparation for the holiday shopping season, and this year is no exception. Samsung’s Galaxy Note 3 is out now, available for a contract price of $299.

Since its debut, the biggest selling point for the Galaxy Note has been its giant screen, and the new Note 3 actually has an even larger display at 5.7.” The screen real estate has been expanded by doing away with much of the bezel around the edges, so that the actual size of the phone is about the same as the Note 2, except slightly thinner and narrower.

The Galaxy Note 3 is still a powerful device, with a top of the line processor and 1080p HD screen that’s visible even in direct sunlight. The camera has been upgraded to 13MP, and can even shoot 4K video, though almost no one will be able to take advantage of that resolution for the time being.

Perhaps most importantly, Samsung has also upgraded their S-Pen, the stylus designed to work with the Note that comes free with purchase. The new Note 3 incorporates software updates designed to make using the S-Pen even more intuitive, and has greatly improved the handwriting recognition feature, making taking notes for use in Evernote a breeze.

If you’re in the market for a phablet, the Samsung Galaxy Note 3 is still the one to beat. The question is whether using such an oversized device (it’s difficult to use with one hand) works with your mobile workflow.

For more specs and to order, visit AT&T now.

A look at the world’s fastest desktop printer, the HP Officejet Pro X 576dw

by Mario Armstrong

It used to be, if you wanted a fast printer for your small biz and also needed color, scanning, faxing and more, you were facing down a hefty price tag. No more! Today, inkjet printing technology has come so far that the world’s fastest desktop printer isn’t some fancy laser, but a high-tech version of the same inkjet tech you’ve probably used at home for years.

The HP Officejet Pro X 576dw, only available at Staples, isn’t just fast—its Guinness World Record-holding fast, an award it won for printing an astounding 500 sheets in just 7 minutes 19 seconds.

But speed is one thing, and not necessarily the most crucial factor when looking at a printer for you biz. So let me highlight three other features I love about this printer for small biz. Read More

It’s time to back up your iPhone and iPad: iOS 7 is almost here!

by Shy Mukerjee

Later today, probably in just a few hours, Apple will begin rolling out the iOS 7 update for the iPhone and iPad. Arguably the most major software update to ever grace an Apple handheld device, iOS 7 brings a whole new look and feel to Apple’s line of smartphones and tablets, as well as tons of new functionality.

But before you upgrade your devices to iOS 7, there’s a crucial step you should take: back up your devices!

While most Apple upgrades are a smooth, simple process, there’s no guarantee that you won’t lose data when you decided to upgrade. Since we’re doing more than ever from our smartphones and tablets (and some even consider those devices more important than proper hygiene), the fallout from losing data on your device could be devastating.

So here’s how to back everything up before you upgrade to iOS 7. Read More

The App Culture That’s Affecting Today’s Business Environment

by admin

 The use of smartphone apps by enterprise employees is not an isolated or passing trend. Overall, the rising app culture is seen as good news, but how do you avoid the pitfalls and what does the phenomenon presage for the future of work?

Consumerization of corporate IT is having a profound impact on workplace culture and business models. Employees are energized by greater freedom and flexibility while enterprises are rewarded with efficiencies and enhanced services. While this new app culture brings security risks, privacy issues and employee productivity concerns to address, by and large, it’s regarded as a positive shift.

How The New Normal Is Changing The Conventional Workplace

In fact, according to a recent study by the Economist Intelligence Unit, four out of five organizations believe app culture will have a net positive effect on their business, although the adoption of app culture is far from uniform.

Read the report to learn what sets the early adopters apart, why the C-suite are the chief cheerleaders for app culture, and what this cultural shift could mean for your business.

Read the complete report at AT&T’s Networking Exchange Blog.

This is a sponsored post from AT&T.