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How To Use the Cloud

5:28 am by 1 Comment

A recent study claimed that cloud computing will create more jobs than the early Internet boom did. The industry is slated to create big business opportunities, as well as hundreds of thousands of jobs. In fact it is such a big deal, venture capitalists are expected invest upwards of $30 billion into the industry over the next five years or so.

Cloud Education is a Top Priority

Fortunately, you won’t have to wait five years to see the effects the industry has on the job market. Currently, there are far more of these employment opportunities than qualified candidates to fill those positions. Jobs are being advertised ad nauseam across the Internet and even Rackspace, a huge name in the cloud computing industry, is looking for new talent. These jobs are expected grow dramatically over the next few years. According to a report by technology analyst firm IDC, available cloud-computing jobs are expected to reach 14 million globally by
2014. While this is a good problem to have, it is a problem nonetheless. The industry needs a large stable of qualified IT
managers, systems administrators and network engineers to meet the rapidly growing needs of this technology.

Cloud Computing 101: Introducing CloudU

Part of the problem is that while there is plenty of discussion about how awesome it is, there is not much discussion about why it’s awesome, and how it works. Rackspace has built an intensive online resource, providing educational tools to train the general public, and potential Rackers (read: employees) in cloud computing
concepts. The resource is called CloudU, and answers two big questions right off the bat within the first couple of lessons:

1) What is cloud computing? & 2) How do I understand the cloud computing stack (Iaas, PaaS, SaaS)?

• What is Cloud Computing?

In previous years, enterprise-level computing was expensive. It was expensive on two levels: On one level, storing and managing massive datasets required massive processing power, which is definitely pricey to maintain. On another level, running in-house server technology and data centers required using lots of electrical power. It provides high-powered processing, while keeping electricity consumption low, and at a fraction of what it would cost to run a dedicated server or data center for a large-scale company. This is all accomplished in cloud-based data centers where processing and hardware resources are shared among multiple servers simultaneously. This gives the service providers the ability to provide scalable, customized computing resources on a subscription or as-needed basis to their customers.


• Understanding the Cloud Stack

The cloud stack is broken into three distinct components:

Infrastructure-as-a-Service (IaaS), Platform-as-a-Service (PaaS) and Software-as-a-Service (SaaS).

• IaaS – Infrastructure-as-a-Service providers, sometimes called Hardware-as-a-Service (HaaS), is just that, a provider of server hardware for companies. Companies can rent server space, hardware and operating systems, and have them installed on-site or at a third-party location. Rackspace is among the largest providers of IaaS solutions.

• PaaS – PaaS is often referred to as middle-ware. This is because PaaS solutions provide an easy path of all a company’s application deployment needs. This includes server space, operating systems, and a host of deployment methods that cut the app development time in half.

• SaaS – SaaS is the most common type of service, primarily because it is the easiest to access and use. Essentially, SaaS providers offer powerful software solutions over the web. This includes everything from storage to word processing to digital video editing. SaaS includes any type of software that you can use online.

Everyday, technology is becoming more of an omniscient presence blanketing the planet. As these types of networks continue to augment traditional server delivery and mobile technology expands to necessitate more cloud infrastructure, we can expect jobs in the field to continue blossoming long into the future, potentially growing to make cloud computing and information technology one of the foremost industries in the future.

This guest post is by Thomas Stone a contributing author at technected.com

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New Gadgets Are Worth The Review

8:39 am by 1 Comment

Today, there are a great quantity of new technologies to buy. For most of us there is no possible way to inspect every single gadget that we may we interested in. That is where an excellent review matters… because of the limited amount time that we have. Finding a reliable gadget review can easily separate useful necessities from generic advertising promotion. So when your son needs the latest cell phone, or a desktop computer that is good for gaming and school work, go to a source that will do all the tough information digging for you. This is important because every day, the number of online stores offering high-tech gadgets is increasing and you should be alert when selecting and apprehensive when making your decision. A good gadget supplier should provide excellent technical assistance and a good product review should point out the ones that do. These types of great reviews will save you the headache of having to dig through technical jargon to finally find the details you’re looking for. Opinions and gadgets vary, so the review should have a healthy helping of both. There are many plugins and widgets that the author can install that will allow the reader to rate the article or gadget, send a personal message, share the review with friends or simply bookmark the article for future reference.

Follow these 5 helpful points to create your own gadget review:

  1. After finding the most relevant points that you find it necessary to list, clean the article from the rest of the mess. The rest of the mess will turn off your reader from even reading the article. To have a successful article, you will definitely want your readers to read what you have to say!
  2. Clutter can be stopped through lists, points, spaces and dashes. The less flustered your readers are, the more mentally satisfied they will be. Tell each gadget apart, even if the differences are split-hair differences. Magnify the difference and provide points as to why it matters enough to include in your review.

An example of a comparison review is laptops. Mac vs. PC. Each are good but have solutions to different lifestyles and budgets.

  1. Pictures and articles should go hand in hand. If you include a photograph of the gadget, please be careful to include one that is big enough to show the gadget in a positive light, but not too big that it will take over the entire page and hide your article.

  1. Try not to use your camera-phone to take a picture of your gadget, unless you are trying to portray what a photo with the camera will look like. Follow up and coming evolved tech news guides or subscribe to the manufacturer feeds to be in the know of when the newest gadget will come out. Consider your gadget sources. Make friends with people of similar blogs or sites. Follow them, talk to them, do whatever it takes to get the latest news.
  1. A demonstrative video about your gadget is a great way to affirm the customer’s interest in the gadget. The video may be the deciding purchase factor. Don’t always assume that your customer is already familiar with the gadget. This is a common mistake.

Be an authentic product reviewer by providing your own opinions on the gadget by first-hand knowledge of it. You have to love what you do!

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How to Find a Mobile Broadband Provider?

8:44 am by 1 Comment

Today’s world is so reliant on the internet which is truly amazing… we ever managed without it. Gone are the days of slow dial-up connections and web pages that could take minutes to load. Modern users demand instant interactivity and access to the web at all times, wherever they may be.

Enter the concept of broadband providers, one of the biggest growth markets in this technology sector. Mobile devices that provide for internet connectivity are currently outselling PCs by a massive margin and this trend looks set to continue.

Development

Mobile broadband was developed by harnessing mobile-phone technologies and expanding them from a voice-only service to the point where transmission of large amounts of data at high speeds became possible. This is done currently with the almost ubiquitous 3G protocol.

Setting up Mobile Broadband

The most common way of obtaining a connection is by using a dongle, which is basically a portable modem. Modern dongles contain their own installation software, so it is a simple case of inserting it into a free USB port and following any screen-prompt instructions. Installation should only take a few minutes to complete, during which time the dongle should not be removed.

Who Benefits?

Mobile broadband providers are a part of  a huge benefit to the business world, allowing continuous communication between employers, employees and clients no matter where in the world they happen to be. The concept has been described by many as like carrying an office in a suitcase.

For some people, the ability to access social-networking sites, check e-mail and complete online banking are three of the most common uses of mobile broadband. For others, it is simply having the freedom to move around and use the internet anywhere, rather than being tied to a land-line and static broadband connection.


How Do I Get It?

With the increasing reliability and availability of mobile broadband, providers of the service now offer a whole host of deals and packages to tempt consumers to their specific network. They vary from Pay-As-You-Go schemes (as with mobile-phone deals), one month rolling contracts and full-blown long-term contracts.

As a rule of thumb, the longer or more expensive the contract, the better the offers that go with it, with some providers even offering free laptops as part of the contract and a much bigger monthly download allowance. The usage allowance is an important factor, because some providers offer very low limits, with heavy penalties for going over them.

How Do I Choose a Provider?

With so many different options available, choosing a mobile-broadband provider is no easy task. A good starting point is to firstly determine exactly how much you use the internet on a daily basis and for what purpose.

From this information, you should be able to work out if fast speeds, above-average download allowances or low costs are your particular motivator. Not all providers cover every area, so you will also need to check network coverage for any place where you may need to use broadband to make sure it is possible.

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Technology: Windows Release of The Old Republic

7:17 am by 1 Comment

Come on let’s be honest, quite a few of us are secret Jedi Knights desperate to right the wrongs of the evil empire. So that’s why we were very excited to see the launch of video game Star Wars: The Old Republic, which Windows released at the end of 2011.

” Star Wars: The Old Republic is a semi-sequel to the first two knights of the Old Republic games set before Episode 1” but with characters from all over the Universe. It’s a massive, multi-player online game and it’s a chance for all of us to hone our Jedi skills, speak nonsense to fellow enthusiasts and flash our light-sabers with impunity. Oh yes.

The game has been produced by Electronic Arts and it’s reckoned to have cost nearly £90 million. The animations are said to be some of the best in the genre, they are bright, well-defined and very pretty. The light-sabers motion and sound are also something special. The designers have managed to combine the movie noise with something new that makes light-sabers even more enthralling. Nothing better than striking your foe down with a clean, cool sounding light-saber slash.


It’s up against some very stiff competition from games like World of Warcraft and last year was tough for subscription based MMO’s with free-to-play rivals wrestling for a top spot. However, it should be guaranteed millions of fans given its birth from one of the most iconic Sci-Fi film franchises of recent generations.

My only complaint is that character customization is limited, but there are so many characters and so much of the Star Wars Universe to roam, this is minor.

Now, as you all know (and if you don’t, why not), The Old Republic is actually set some 3,500 years before the familiar events depicted in the Star War movies. But, it’s still familiar for all Star War fans.

The game is based on adventure and romp. You start as a comparatively weak character and progress, by completing various tasks and showing moral leadership, onto a character of superhero proportions.

Although, of course, you can wander occasionally onto the dark side and practice breathing like someone on 100 Marlboro’s a day. Can’t wait!

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Top Tech Innovations of 2011: Looking Back & Looking Forward

7:08 am by Leave a Comment

2011 was a big year in innovation. From artificial intelligence and the cloud to payment systems and wireless power, the tech world has been advancing more quickly than ever before, setting the stage for revolutionizing consumers’ lives in the process. Here’s a breakdown of five of the most impressive innovations of 2011.

Watson

Developed by IBM and named after its first president, Watson is an artificial intelligence that was built to answer questions posed in normal human speech. That means no special commands need to be memorized for it to respond to you, it can just figure out what you mean. Due to its impressive hardware and software it was even able to hold its own against humans on the game show Jeopardy!, ending both of its matches ahead of its human competitors.

Digital Wallets–On Your Phone

Search giant Google rolled out Google Wallet in 2011, though it was only available on its Nexus S 4G phones. Using a special Near Field Communication (NFC) chip in the phone, you will eventually be able to link up your credit card and checking accounts to your Google Wallet and pay for items in store by waving your phone over a special receiver. One of the best parts? Google Wallet will eventually be able to store your receipts and coupons so you’ll never have to worry about losing your BOGO coupon for the daily special at Chuck’s Chili Chalice.


Cloud Computing

Cloud computing is a big thing that’s on the horizon and it made big strides in 2011, changing everything from the way we save our documents to the way we handle medical billing software. The cloud makes it easier for medical professionals to access patient information from their home, office or hospital without being tied to any specific server. It also makes it easier for patients to access and pay bills by providing a simple, unified interface.

Wireless Power

True wireless power systems have been in development for many years and the Power Mat has even been out for a few itself (though it’s not truly wireless since it still requires physical contact with an object carrying an electric current), but HaloIPT has developed a system for wirelessly charging electric vehicles. It hasn’t made any serious ripples in the world yet, but it could drive more widespread adoption of electric vehicles, especially since one of the most often cited reasons people give for not purchasing one is the fear that they will forget to charge it when they get home. With HaloIPT’s system, owners would merely have to position their car over a transmitting pad installed in their garage or driveway. No plugs involved!

Voice Activation

Tim Cook, Apple’s newest CEO, had his first major unveiling at 1 Infinite Loop in Cupertino with the iPhone 4S. Though it didn’t look like much of an overhaul, it packed in a lot of amazing new hardware and one app that has set the pace for future voice activated software: Siri. Built from the core of an AI program developed by DARPA and MIT, Siri not only responds to voice commands, but also learns about its user, adjusting to their speaking style and recognizing the context of their words. Siri is surely just the beginning of AI personal assistants, but it’s also a monumentally helpful app of its own.

As these new technologies continue to mature what can we expect? The importance of mobile is likely to continue to skyrocket. We’ll continue to move away from the centrality of the desktop/laptop and more towards the tablet and smart-phone. Searching will change as the adoption of voice-activated searches like Siri increase and even the way that we buy things might change as the adoption of apps like Google Wallet and Square continue to increase. One thing is for sure: from the standpoint of a techie, 2012 is going to be an exciting year!

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Top Ten Gadgets for the Holidays!: 2011 Edition

12:08 pm by 12 Comments

From toys to tools, every year has a few hot items that cross a lot of wish lists. Here are some of the highlights in 2011 gadget-dom.

Garmin GTU 10 GPS Tracker

Don’t let the small size of this device fool you. Although, the Garmin GTU is only about as big as a lighter, this GPS can keep a charge for four weeks. Because of the small size it is perfect for the collars of pets that frequently need to be found. It could also be easily slipped into the glove compartment of a car you wanted to track a little more closely or are worried about being stolen. This may be a holiday gift someone doesn’t know they’re getting.

18V Compact Drill/Driver Kit

Gadgets aren’t limited to the home office and a hot one for the garage is this Dewalt drill/driver kit. A high quality drill is a necessity for the handy person on your list. This drill is extremely versatile. It is compact and cordless and only weighs 4.8 lbs. This, and its LED work light make it the ideal tools for working in tight spaces.

Nintendo 3DS

This is the newest edition to Nintendo’s line of hand-held gaming systems. The “3D” in the name hints at the devices greatest feature – it shows games in 3D, without the need for glasses. Having 3D dimensional gaming capabilities means that users will be able to better navigate the games. The sense of depth will make it easier to see exactly where your character and items are in the game’s landscape.

Cobra Phone Tag

Everyone has the check off list when they leave the house: keys, phone, and wallet. Unfortunately, these things seem to separate from each other pretty often. The cobra phone tag is a key chain that slips easily onto your key ring or bag. The cobra syncs to Blackberry, Android and iPhone mobile platforms through a Bluetooth connection. Once they are linked, the two devices can page each other. If you have lost your keys you can page them from your phone and vice versa – no word on what happens if you lose both, however.

Kindle Fire

The Kindle Fire is a media playing super power. This tablet uses Amazon Silk and Wi-Fi to browse through the web. It can access thousands of apps and around 18 million books, magazines, movies, TV shows and songs. The multi-touch screen is 7 inches wide.

Kinect fox Xbox 360

Gaming is becoming increasingly more active with the innovation behind Xbox Kinect. The system starts by simply waving at it. It then recognizes the player, selects their avatar and gives them the option to start a game exactly where they left off. The console can also accept vocal direction. It can turn on and even function based on commands like “play” or “Xbox. “

Freerider Skatecycle

This futuristic skater brings a new style of movement to the park. The Freerider Skatecycle has a flexible, pivoting frame. By making a fish tail motion with their body a rider can get the Skatecycle started with their own momentum, there is no need to kick the ground. This space age speeder can move just as fast as a skateboard or roller skates and even do tricks in the park.


iPad 2

The iPad 2 is easily to most impressive tablet on the market. Over loaded with features, the iPad 2 has two cameras for Facetime interface. With Wi-Fi and 3G the iPad 2 can cruise the web on about 10 hours of battery life. The multi-touch screen is 9.7 inches wide and displays brightly in even the darkest rooms. The tablet only weighs 1.33 lbs. so it is extremely portable – the perfect trip companion.

Air Swimmer Remote Control Flying Shark

Toys aren’t just for children. While it may have originally been intended for a younger audience, the Air Swimmer Flying Shark has a pretty universal appeal. This miniature, indoor blimp is remote-controlled and can be controlled even when the operator is in the next room. At 57 inches long this shark is a pretty substantial beast, especially when it’s swimming through your living room in a surprisingly realistic motion. It can stay inflated for up to 3 weeks and also comes in a clownfish model.

Samsung LED 9000 Series TV

You won’t believe your eyes with the Samsung LED 9000 Series of television sets. They are about 0.3 inches wide – literally pencil thin. The thin profile does nothing to hamper the TV’s power. The 9000 series can produce 3D images. They are also smart, letting users browse the web, tons of apps and their social media profiles. This impressive set can support 3D images and even convert 2D media into the third dimension. The LED 9000 is Internet ready. Its open platform makes the user experience extremely customizable. It can support downloadable apps, from online games to social media platforms.

Lenovo IdeaPad U1

The Lenovo IdeaPad U1 may be the perfect compromise between a tablet and a laptop. Tablets have great usability when you’re surfing the web or playing a game that supports multi-touch. However, if you need to do long form typing or the screen to be propped up then tablet users run into problems. The IdeaPad certainly packs a punch with an Intel Core 2 Duo Processor and five solid hours of battery life. The detachable screen/multi-touch tablet makes the IdeaPad the most physically versatile computer on the market.

Thomas Stone is a writer who blogs on behalf of Sears and other trusted brands. In his free time he enjoys keeping up with the latest gadgets on the market.

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