Tag: tablet

Handle PDF Documents With Ease Using Stanza for the iPad

by Justin Alcon

PDF is the file format of choice for electronic documents.  It works on every major computing platform, it looks the same on everyone’s computer, and it even prints exactly the way you intended it. It’s no surprise that PDF is the most popular format choice for business documents around the world.  Like a good wine, the iPad pairs nicely with PDF as the perfect device for consuming documents (and iPhone works pretty well in a pinch). Usually, the PDF drill is simple: someone emails an important document for review, you open it from the email and can easily reply with feedback or forward it on to another party.  However, it’s not a perfect system – what about larger documents that are too big to email?  What if you have 10 or 20 documents to review? Do you want to send and/or open 20 emails?  Of course not.

Enter Stanz, the free eReader for iOS, which sets the standard for eReaders on Apple’s platform.  With Stanza installed, you can easily transfer documents between your computer and your iOS device.  Just drag and drop files into the document-sharing area of iTunes under the ‘apps’ menu and sync your mobile  It’s definitely the simplest way to get the PDF files and ebooks that you want or need in to your peripheral digital devices.

This has a couple great applications.  For instance, every day my wife (who does all of her work on an iPad) reviews a ton of contracts.  She can fit almost all of her work in her purse by using Stanza.  Not only can she easily review all of these documents, but she can annotate them right in the app.  The best part?  Since sharing via Twitter, Facebook, and email are built right in, when she has made her notes she can send out her changes directly from within this free app.

While the Kindle ads on TV are appealing, doing anything more than reading documents on it is difficult. Stanza takes full advantage of the iPad’s unique capabilities, allowing you to quickly and easily read, mark-up, and share PDF documents.  It’s one of those vital apps that boosts tablets and smartphones into daily-use, multipurpose devices.  If you’re interested in e-readers but already have an iPhone/iPad, I would definitely recommend giving Stanza a test-drive first.

Look Out: HP TouchPad coming July 1st!

by Shy Mukerjee

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.

Square Moves Towards Mobile Wallet Reality with Card Case

by BrothaTech

Square was one of the first companies to make mobile credit card payment processing simple and easy for small business owners via its credit card readers and complimentary mobile app. If you’re not familiar with Square, it’s a free device that turns your tablet computer or smartphone into a point-of-sale (POS) device. Just plug in the small, square reader into the headphone jack of your iPhone, iPad, Android phone or tablet and you’re taking credit card transactions at the low, flat fee of 2.75% per transaction.

Today, the Square team is making it easier for small businesses to accept payments via a mobile wallet that customers use to start a tab, receive their goods and pay without ever touching a credit card or wallet.

Card Case is a new venture by Square that essentially puts a mobile wallet on a consumer’s iPhone or Android smartphone that they can use at any Square-enabled business. Users can store credit card information for each business they frequent. Upon entering the business, users can enter their name, select their virtual card from the Card Case app, order their stuff, and Card Case takes care of the rest.

In addition to the mobile wallet app, Card Case also doubles as a directory that will help users find “Squared up” businesses and help small biz owners reach a larger, more technology-aware customer base. Once businesses and customers find each other, Card Case can also provide customers with a product list, food/product menu, or deals/promotions the business might be offering.

Finally, with Square functionality built into Card Case, receipts are automatically sent to the customer per the email address they added to Card Case. This means businesses that use Card Case can stop fumbling around with those receipt rolls in that POS device that always seem to get jammed at the height of “rush hour” business traffic.

Like it? Love it? Hate it? The fact of the matter is that the future of financial transactions my look something like the Card Case service that Square has devised. It’s only a matter of time before Card Case, NFC technology, and QR Codes make your smartphone the most important tool in your everyday life.

To find participating locations and more information on how to start using Card Case as a consumer or a business, get Squared Up and visit the Card Case website.

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?

Portable Power for Your Moble Devices

by BrothaTech

I don’t know about you, but I break out in hives and develop a slight twitch when my mobile device’s battery indicator drops below 15%. My symptoms really get bad when I am nowhere near a power outlet and/or don’t have my laptop bag filled to brim with cables ready to power each and every device I own.

For those times when plugging in to charge a mobile device is NOT an option, portable power is the answer. The arena is relatively new, but is a must as more and more people depend on mobile devices to get them through the day. So I am going to feature three different options that will wake you up from a mobile battery drain nightmare.

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SignMyPad App for iPad: eSign and Send PDF’s – No Printing Required

by BrothaTech

Normally when I do app reviews, I try to stay unbiased, cite the facts and point out how it can help you and your business. I will have to break character and say if you breathe air through your lungs, and get tired of downloading, signing, scanning, uploading and emailing (or faxing, if you live in the 90’s) PDF documents, and of course own an iPad…

You need to download the SignMyPad app for iPad now.

Simply put, the SignMyPad app will enable you to load a PDF though iTunes document sharing, from an email, or on the web by entering its url. You can simply sign and date the PDF then upload it back to iTunes to share with your computer, or send it via email… All without touching a single piece of paper!

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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.

Rumor: Google Nexus Tablet

by Justin Alcon

According to the Russian mobile blog Mobile Review (you’ll need to switch to English if you’d like to read the blog, unless you’re fluent in Russian), LG has been tapped to produce the Google Nexus tablet for the Mountain View-based Internet giant. Details are scarce (and of course unconfirmed), but according to the site the tablet will be used by  Google as base for the development and testing of Honeycomb (Android 3.0), their latest tablet-optimized operating system. This new device should be ready in “mid-summer or early autumn.”

Definitely keep in mind that this device could just be an engineering prototype to be used by Google internally for Android tablet development and wouldn’t necessarily lead to a consumer-facing product. However, the idea of Google producing a tablet that stacks up to iPad 2 in the same way that their Nexus S phone challenged iPhone 4 is an idea that will create a lot of buzz among tech junkies and Android fanboys.  If it really happens, it could have a big impact on the future of tablet integration into your business.  The fact that Google has delayed distribution of Honeycomb source code to outside developers definitely lends credibility to this rumor, so I’m not willing to dismiss this with a das vadanya quite yet.

BlackBerry PlayBook Adds Java and Android “app player,” but not in time for launch

by Shy Mukerjee

Although word leaked last month that BlackBerry had added the ability to run Android apps on their upcoming PlayBook tablet (previously: pricing, quick look), a press release from RIM yesterday gives more details about how this will work.  The PlayBook will have access to what RIM are calling “app players” to allow not just Android 2.3 but Java apps as well.  However, unlike we assumed, there won’t simply be an Android Market on the PlayBook, but the process sounds simple enough. According to RIM, developers will have to simply repackage and sign their apps, then submit them to BlackBerry App World.  Touting a “a high degree of API compatibility” between Android and BlackBerry, the process will hopefully be painless.

Not in Time for Launch

The PlayBook will be here on April 19th, but RIM notes in their press release that the app players won’t arrive until summer.  With their tablet Native Development Kit (NDK) forthcoming and still in alpha, how are developers supposed to have apps ready for launch?  BlackBerry is addressing this in several ways, announcing today that they’re adding C/C++ development to the NDK, allowing developers to leverage work already done in the language and easily port existing code to the platform.  As well, developers will have the option to bring Adobe Flash and AIR apps to the PlayBook, in addition to the HTML5 support via WebKit.

With the iPad 2 and Motorola Xoom already out, their app stores full thanks to a significant head start, how will the PlayBook compete? Will there be a significant number of apps available for the platform at launch, and will consumers be able to wait until summer for Android Apps to make their way to the device?  We’re still waiting with bated breath to find out how the BlackBerry PlayBook is going to shine amongst what we assume will be its core audience: business users. Having already announced that they’re bringing BlackBerry Messenger to Android and possibly iOS, it will be interesting to see what unique features the PlayBook will be bringing to market.

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.