Inverselogic Inc Tech Blog

Julie, Please Schedule a Skype Appointment.

2012-01-31T01:27:00.000-08:00

Will Skype be the new industry standard for videoconferencing?

Skype business presentation at CES 2012

At CES 2012, we observed a growing number of companiesintegrating Skype with their television sets and smart devices. The free videocalling service has been around for quite some time now and in early 2011 itwas acquired by Microsoft. Skype has 663 million users worldwide of which 30million are simultaneously online at any given time. Last year alone, Skypecarried close to 40 billion international call minutes - yes that is quite somenumber for a free service.

So does this mean Skype will soon have a seat or a place onthe wall in the corporate board room. Most probably yes, since it's becomingaffordable and cost effective to integrate one, especially for small and mediumsized businesses and firms.

As more and more companies place LCD television sets intheir board rooms and with the availability of wireless or wired internetconnections, having Skype in the conference room becomes a snap. Businesseswould no longer invest in expensive video conferencing equipment and services.Of course it is noteworthy to mention that Skype does not deliver supreme videoquality - but hey, at the end of the day it gets the job done.


Samsung SMART TV set with built in Skype capabilities

You are able tomake a free video call to anywhere in the world at the comfort of your TV. Thequality of the video calls depend primarily on your internet connection and ofcourse the hardware being used (camera type, device, etc.)

And in case you've noticed, even television networks likeCNN and Fox News have begun to use Skype for live video connections - creatinga more realistic, perhaps dramatic connection with the TV host.

At CES 2012, we noticed that Samsung is aggressivelyintegrating Skype in almost all of its Smart TV sets. The two companies at theforefront of this endeavor are Samsung and Panasonic. Almost all Androidpowered smart phones, Blackberries (select carriers), and Apple's latest iOSsupport Skype.

So with that said, Julie please schedule a Skype appointmentat 11am tomorrow with our Shanghai office. I'll do the talking or rather Skypeingthat is.

Give me back my BlackBerry!

2012-01-24T13:29:00.000-08:00

By Ara Aslanian

BlackBerry 850 - introduced 1999

After experiencing some device problems with my new Verizon BlackBerry Bold 9930, and due to continued media and financial setbacks by RIM, I decided to switch to the iPhone 4s. The timing was perfect... the holiday season would give me enough off-time to get acclimated with the iPhone. Having used a BlackBerry device since the first BlackBerry 850 was introduced in 1999, I knew this was going to be a drastic change for me. Although the first BlackBerry was hardly a smart phone, the e-mail only device which had very limited HTML browsing capabilities, was undoubtedly a revolutionary transition from the beeper.

The transition of moving contacts and e-mails from my Bold to the iPhone was painless and easy, with the exception of my notes. I knew there would be a learning curve for the use of a touch screen only device; luckily, being an iPad and iPod Touch user, I am very familiar with the iOS operating system and know most of the phone's functions.

The iPhone 4s provides lots of eye candy and fun with its amazing camera, all the cool apps and games you can ask for, gorgeous screen resolution and of course Siri, the talking assistant. After a few days of playing with my iPhone and being told how great it was by everyone, I began to really get into it and use it as I would my Blackberry: constant e-mails, notes to myself, to-do lists consisting of client needs, calendar entries and e-mails to my staff and partner for client related matters.

I soon began to realize the great effort it took for me to fulfill these necessary functions. Doing what I did with the BlackBerry on the iPhone required extra time, taps and slides. However, I wrote these off as a part of the learning curve I was overcoming and was sure my efficiency would increase over time and with familiarity. All the same, my experience never improved.

Although the iPhone had many great functions, it fell short of those that really counted for me. The lack of intuitive e-mail, calendar and contact management were my biggest issues with the phone.

Siri was helpful but could only recognize certain names such as Jeff, Mike &John. It had difficulty with Armenian names and required me to repeat the name with different pronunciations before it could bring up the correct persons contact information. For me the most important use if Siri was to help me make calls on the go, but if you have ever used a BlackBerry device with a keyboard, you know that each key can be programmed as a short cut to dial a name from your phone book. I use "I" for Inverselogic to call the office, "J" for Jeff, etc. This to me is much more efficient than clicking and holding the home button on the iPhone, waiting for Siri to wake up, then asking it to dial my office; in most instances it would ask me to repeat again or would tell me it couldn’t help me at the moment.

I also missed the thumb click on the BlackBerry; it is not until you no longer have the feature that you realize what an amazing tool it is. One click and you have everything at your finger tips: reply, forward, attach, delete, etc. With the iPhone, you have to move and slide your finger all over the screen if you are reading an e-mail, and if you wish to call that person, you must scroll all the way up to the top and hit the call button.

Simple things like attaching a photo to your e-mail become a time-consuming task; you must save your e-mail as a draft by hitting cancel, or by exiting the mail application by clicking the home button, go to your photo album, copy the photo, come back into the mail app, and finally paste it! This becomes frustrating when you are trying to get an e-mail out before a meeting or are on the go.

Last Friday, I boarded a Southwest flight to Las Vegas for the 2012 Consumer Electronics Show with a fully charged iPhone. The plan was to walk the show, visit few vendors and board a flight back to Burbank at 7:00PM. I had made a few calls to the office during the morning hours after my arrival into Las Vegas and sent out several e-mails and text messages. I did however also use the amazing camera to take some shots of new OLED and 3D TVs on display at the Samsung and LG booths. Looking down at my iPhone, I realized my battery was down to 45% by noon and 35% by 1PM. I was forced to shut off my WiFi and my phone so it would last me the rest of the day. It was at this point that I made the decision of switching back to my BlackBerry as soon as I got back to the office. With my upcoming trip to New York on the horizon, I realized the iPhone would not last me the day in the big city and would provide aggravation to my life.

As I switched phones once again, I was happy. It was like having my old best friend back! I was reunited with one click access to everything that I needed to do with my phone; there’s no need for apps or games since that’s what the iPad is for. All I could ever ask for is a phone that handles calls, e-mails, contacts and calendars extremely efficiently. It may not have the great screen and browsing capabilities of the iPhone or its amazing digital camera, but it sure beats it in what I think matters most to a business professional who is constantly using their phone for messaging and communications.

To all my long time friends and client who think I'm not an Apple fan, I think you'd be happy know that this entire article was written using my iPad and revised on my iPad at JFK waiting for my flight back to Burbank. I must boast that my BlackBerry’s battery is still at 70% at 5:22 pm EST. I was here to attend a technology leadership conference and noticed most of us were still using the BlackBerry, a few were on the iPhone, some were on the Android and a handful were even carrying both an iPhone and a Blackberry (BlackBerry for their email and phone communicates and the iPhone for their social media apps and other needs). If New York is any indication of what business professionals still use as their main smart phone, there is no doubt that BlackBerry runs this city.

As I was getting ready to post this article news came that RIM co-CEO’s stepped down handing over the control to a new up and coming executive, a move I believe the board should have forced a long time ago. Hopefully the new CEO will be able to restore RIM and BlackBerry to what it was before and is able to keep the company around, as many business professionals such as myself depend heavily on our BlackBerries.

Ara Aslanian is the president and CEO of Inverselogic Inc., a technology solutions company based in Glendale, California.

Nokia - One Last Chance?

2012-01-23T21:23:00.000-08:00

Each time I hear about the Nokia Lumia, for some reason it reminds me of the Chevy Lumina. Of course, one's a phone, the other a car...but would Nokia's Lumia share a similar death fate as the Lumina? Probably not...well at least from our observations at CES 2012.

Earlier in 2011, Nokia abandoned its operating system for smartphones - the Symbian. With a continued assault led by Apple's iOS and Google's Android operating systems, the market share of Symbian almost disappeared. Fearing a complete disappearance from the smartphone market, Nokia quickly entered into a strategic partnership with Microsoft, clearing the path for the tech giant to implement its Windows Mobile OS on all Nokia smartphones. Of course Microsoft itself has a very tiny, if not insignificant presence in the smartphone world...but at least this gave Nokia yet another chance to reemerge in the market and focus on hardware and less on developing the core operating system, including the apps, something that has catastrophically bogged down RIM's Blackberry.

Nokia plans on introducing the Lumia 900 within the $100-$200 price range, which would make it by far the least expensive, yet highly functional smartphone on the block. The phone features Microsoft's tile based operating system also known as Mango. Most importantly, the phone is Nokia's first 4G enabled device - making it very suitable for data hungry apps.

The phone comes loaded with Microsoft Office, making it a snap for opening and editing Word, Excel, and Powerpoint files. If you're a diehard gamer, the integration with Xbox LIVET comes ready...couple that with the 4G and you're ready to take off.As with any Microsoft product, dont expect open source coding like the Android and the number of available apps still remains far below Industry giants - Apple and Google.

CES 2012: Ultrabooks

2012-01-18T17:16:00.000-08:00

We’re sure you have been following the headlines from thepast week regarding the wonders of the tech world. The 2012 ConsumerElectronics Show wrapped up the four day convention last week in Las Vegas.

Last year the show was abuzz with tablets and mobilecomputing. Inverselogic was in attendance at the show again this year, whichattracted more than 150,000 people from all over the globe. We will cover thekey highlights of the show, including our thoughts and ideas within the nextfew blog posts, so please stay tuned for updates.

As stated, last year there was a hysterical hype overtablets in the mobile computer realm….so much that the netbook marketexperienced a significant drop in computing market share. Taking front stagewere Google Android powered tablets offered by Samsung and Motorola.

This year, one of many attention grabbing featured productswere Ultrabooks – the successful marriage of tablets, netbooks, and laptops ifwe have to word it that way. PC manufacturers quickly realized the success ofthe MacBook Air and decided to adopt a similar product line by offering power,with the latest Intel chips, and superior mobility, notably in weight anddesign.

Samsung and Toshiba both presented an impressive lineup ofUltrabooks.

Samsung Series 9 Ultrabook

Samsung’s Series 9 model houses a quad core Intel Core i7processor and a 13.3 SuperBright display. The Series 9 model is a directcompetitor of the MacBook Air in terms of hardware – it weight 2.6 pounds andits thickest point is 0.4 inches (yes, 0.4!). Samsung brings performance,design, and mobility under one roof. For die hard Windows users who wantsuperior mobility, this is a computer you must definitely consider.


Toshiba Portege Z835

The Toshiba Portege Z835 is another major competitor in theultrabook sector. Toshiba by far goes out of its way to make the computer asaffordable as possible – pricing its entry models in the range of $699-$949(the sub $1000 market). The drawback however is that Toshiba packs the IntelCore i3 processor, which lags in performance comparisons with the much fasterprocessors (Core i5 and i7), however for business multitasking users, the IntelCore i3, along with a generous RAM and solid state drive should be just fine.

Stay tuned for more posts along the way…

What is Your Retail Loss Prevention Strategy?

2012-01-10T12:11:00.000-08:00

What is Your Loss Prevention Strategy?

By Scott Kreisberg, CEO One Step Retail Solutions

When it comes to security and protecting your assets, you need a good strategy. You will know how good that strategy is when you try to balance the cash register at the end of the day; when you do your physical count; when you are faced with a computer crash; or when too many of your customers start having identity theft on their cards. Do you want to wait until then to find out that your protection was inadequate?

The most effective method to achieve security has always been a layered approach. In other words, instead of just relying on a single solution, you set up a number of protective layers and thus greatly reduce the chances of being a victim.

Airports are an example of a layered approach: there are visual inspection of ID's and tickets before you are allowed beyond a certain point, there are TSA agents observing via cameras, there are metal detection imaging devices that you must go through, and there are personnel at the ramp to the plane who check tickets and ID's again.

We at One Step Retail take a similar approach to protecting you and your business from both external and internal threats. After all, we have been around helping retailers for 25 years and we hear about disasters from unprotected retailers. Consequently, we want to ensure you do not experience the same thing.

What would happen if all the information stored in your computer were suddenly lost? Or you had a hacker or virus or Trojan attack? Could you recreate this information? If so, how much time would it take? How much would it cost? What about dishonest employees? Most importantly, would your business survive?

In today's economic climate, it is vital to protect your assets and one of the most important assets you have is your data. If you lost it, it could possibly close your store. That may be hard to believe, but look at these statistics from Comdisco Vulnerability Index Research Report:

82% of companies are not prepared to handle a computer system disaster
83% of corporate data recoveries from tape backup FAIL
Only 6% of companies that suffer from a catastrophic data loss survive

In our own backyard, we've seen it happen. Two different clients thought they were backing up and protected, but then their computers crashed and they discovered otherwise. After a year of manually inputting all the missing data, one retailer still occasionally scans an item that should be in the system but isn't. Another client lost years of data and had to pay for expensive data recovery but not all of it was recoverable.

In the category of dishonest employees, one client after six months of periodic cycle counts being off, finally traced down the problem to an employee taking fictitious “returns” and giving refunds-to herself. Another client had an employee who, as their Systems Administrator, embezzled money from them for five years. Months of sales information in their computer records was missing and she said they had been lost. Where was the backup? This company went out of business two years later.

One Step has researched resources and partnered with experienced, honest vendors to bring you layers of security specific to your needs as a retailer.

With RetailSafe, you have a professional backup service that knows retail and their data backup needs, plus you as our client get a discount for their services.

With sonicWall you get not only an intelligent state-of-the art firewall protecting you from malware, you get PCI compliance integrated into the system protecting your business from another type of disaster. You can buy firewalls including sonicWall at Amazon but none of them will be PCI Compliant out of the box. You must be trained on how to properly configure the firewall in order to meet PCI compliancy. So, buying them from anywhere else would be an utter waste of money.

With Quadrox you have a Network Video Recording system that can, among other things, integrate with your POS. The POS is a primary location for employee theft or mistakes. For example, you could quickly access the time when an employee issued a return and refund (as noted on the POS) and see actually what happened on the video—no cycle counts for six months to discover the dishonest employee.

So, start getting these layers firmly in place. If you have some or all of them already, make sure:

they are working
you are verifying on a regular basis that they are working
they are adequate for your specific needs as a retailer
you understand them and can use all of their features
you not only can use their features, you are using them

1.8 Gigapixel Camera on U.S. Army's Drone-Copter

2011-12-28T16:44:00.000-08:00

The U.S. Army is set to deploy 3 Boeing A160 Hummingbird drones to Afghanistan beginning in July of 2012.

Contrary to it's predecessor the Predator drone, which is already in combat, the A160 Hummingbird is capable of vertical take-offs and landings.

What's more impressive is the 1.8 gigapixel camera that can track objects from above 20,000 feet.

Furthermore, it can track up to 65 enemies of the state at one time and does not require refueling for 12 hour periods.

Note: 1.8 gigapixels is equivalent to 1,800 megapixels.

310 mph Train Developed by Chinese

2011-12-28T15:58:00.000-08:00

The Chinese have done it again with the development of a train that will reach speeds of 310 mph.

The train, which is being developed by CSR Corp Ltd., is designed to look like an ancient sword.

There are several similar projects in the works, one of which is 269 mph maglev train which will run from Anaheim to Las Vegas.

The Chinese have increased their efforts to expand their high speed rail network by investing a trillion dollars into it.

Use of Phones for Pictures Increase

2011-12-22T14:07:00.000-08:00

With an increase in phones that come with some pretty decent cameras, it's no surprise that people are using their point-and-shoot's less frequently.

In 2011, about 27% of photos were taken with phone cameras, compared to 17% in 2010.

Consequently, 44% of photos were taken with "single purpose" cameras, compared to 52% in 2010.

There are several iPhone lenses, like the one we included in our annual gift guide, which increase the capabilities of cell phone cameras. This gives consumers more incentive to invest in such an accessory instead of a point and shoot camera, which only serves a single purpose.

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iOS Printing Solutions Arrive!

2011-12-13T14:52:00.001-08:00

As more and more companies and executives implement the iPad for their mobile computing needs, it is beginning to become critical to be able to print from iOS devices.

Alas, a solution!

The Lantronix xPrintserver allows for users to print from any iOS devices. The device is approximately the size of an iPhone and is compatible with over 4,000 printers; furthermore, it is fairly affordable at $150 a unit.

As we witness more and more of our clients switching to the iPhone for their company's preferred mobile device, we can't help but predict an increased necessity for such a device.

The xPrintserver will become available in January 2012.

Record Breaking Cyber Monday!

2011-11-29T13:09:00.000-08:00

Cyber Monday, as we all know by now, is the Monday following Black Friday.

This year, last year's record was broken by 22%, with sales totaling $1.25 billion!

The significant increase in sales over just one year shows that consumers are gravitating more and more towards making their purchases from the comfort of their home or office.

Here are some statistics:

IBM's sales were 33% more than in 2010
Purchases made through PayPal increased 552% compared to last year
Although the total does not include purchases made through mobile devices, sales made using iPhones (4.1%), iPad (3.3%) & Androids (3.2%) increased from last year's 3.9% to 10.8%

It looks like it's going to be a jolly holiday for retailers! Happy shopping!

Could Your Next Cell Phone Be Bendable?

2011-11-07T14:55:00.000-08:00

What can we expect from the next generation of mobile devices? Bending screens perhaps!

Two weeks ago, Nokia demonstrated it's prototype of a flexible phone which they call a "kinetic device."

Samsung has also discussed the debut of a similar technology which is expected in 2012.

With the adaption of such technologies, the possibilities could be endless. Phones could become extremely thin and virtually unbreakable; they could be rolled up or folded.

We look forward to seeing what new technologies will become available in 2012.

Below is a demo of Nokia's bendable phone:

iOS 5 Bugs Cause Battery to Drain

2011-11-02T15:28:00.001-07:00

Apple has confirmed that several bugs associated with the iOS 5 update are causing for the battery to drain quickly. They are currently working on the bug fixes and will have an update "in a few weeks."

Are you experiencing this problem? I feel that the battery on my iPhone drains quickly but because I am a first time iPhone user, I have nothing to compare it to.

iPhone 4S Review

2011-10-21T14:35:00.000-07:00

Last Friday, I made the big switch from my BlackBerry to the new iPhone 4S. Since I'm the only one in the office with an iPhone, we spent most of the day messing around with the phone and pushing its boundaries. Mostly, we tested Siri and I must say everyone was impressed.

Although hardly anyone can differentiate the 4 and the 4S from their exterior, there are many exciting advancements on the inside.

Engadget has done an extensive review of the phone, so we wont bother. Instead, lets highlight some of the features we love:

Siri is nothing short of spectacular.
The 8MP camera takes amazing photos!
Functionality: The device takes some getting used to but it is very easy to navigate.

Our recommendation to those that have the iPhone 4 would be to probably hold on tight and wait for the release of the iPhone 5 (expected date: Summer of 2012).

CLICK HERE to read Engadget's review of the iPhone 4S.

ecoATM Phone Recycling

2011-10-13T12:31:00.000-07:00

While cell phone recycling programs are nothing new, the ecoATM puts a fresh spin on it all.

Instead of having to fill out paperwork, send in your device and wait a few weeks for a check to arrive in the mail, you can simply go to an ecoATM and receive cash for your phone or MP3 player within minutes.

ecoATM's are conveniently located in malls, grocery stores and other public places.

Watch Engadget's demo of the product below:

To find an ecoATM near you CLICK HERE.

iPhone 4S

2011-10-04T14:12:00.000-07:00

As you may have heard by now, Apple will not be releasing the iPhone 5; instead they will release a much improved version of the 4, the iPhone 4S.

Although many enthusiasts are disappointed, there is no denying the significant changes that have been made, the most exciting of which is probably Siri.

CLICK HERE to watch the keynote.

CLICK HERE to watch the iPhone 4S video.

CLICK HERE to see how Siri works.

iPhone 5 Release

2011-10-04T09:55:00.000-07:00

Today, Apple will be hosting the keynote for their latest version of the iPhone. It has been over a year since the iPhone 4 was released and many improvements are anticipated!

This will be the first keynote which will be presented by Apple's co-founder and new CEO, Tim Cook.

We will post a video of the keynote once it is released later today.

Meg Whitman New President & CEO of HP

2011-09-22T15:25:00.000-07:00

HP announced today that it's board has appointed Meg Whitman as their new President and CEO.

Just a few months ago, HP announced their plans of selling their PC business; we definitely sense some restructuring.

CLICK HERE to read the full press release.

Tim Cook to unveil iPhone 5 on October 4th, 2011

2011-09-21T08:45:00.000-07:00

Reports say that Apple will unveil its much-anticipated iPhone 5 handset, Marking a significant event in Apples recent history, because it will be the first time new CEO Tim Cook will do a big product introduction, after Steve Job's resignation as the CEO of Apple.

Sources say that the plan is now to make the new device available for purchase within a few weeks after the announcement.

Meet Dr. Watson!

2011-09-14T09:44:00.000-07:00

IBM's Watson is making headlines again, but this time he's not competing on Jeopardy.

One of the largest health insurance company's in the U.S., WellPoint Inc., is looking to implement Watson's capabilities to prescribe medication and provide various treatment options for patients.

This will be done by combining a patient's medical record chart, the health insurance company's history on the patient and the medical knowledge that Watson possesses.

Beginning next year, several cancer facilities, academic medical centers and oncology practices will put a pilot program to the test.

Big Advancements in Vehicle-to-Vehicle Communications

2011-09-12T12:24:00.000-07:00

The U.S. has finally begun testing vehicle to vehicle technologies. The testing will be conducted by the University of Michigan’s Transportation Research Institute, as they were awarded $14.9 million by the Department of Transportation.

3,000 short range radio equipped cars will be put to the test in Ann Arbor, Michigan over the course of the next few years. After collecting data for a year, the DOT's National Highway Traffic Safety Administration will decide whether to approve or disapprove the technology.

The DOT believes that 80 percent of serious collisions can be prevented if this technology is successfully implemented in vehicles.

Essay: Jobs’s Departure as CEO of Apple Is the End of an Extraordinary Era

2011-08-25T16:24:00.000-07:00

Essay: Jobs’s Departure as CEO of Apple Is the End of an Extraordinary Era

Apple Macintosh Demo in 1984

2011-08-25T10:01:00.000-07:00

Here's a video of Steve Jobs doing a demo of the Apple Macintosh in 1984!

Looking back at how far PC's have come, the crowd's enthusiasm is almost comedic.

Steve Jobs Resigns as CEO of Apple

2011-08-24T15:58:00.001-07:00

Minutes ago, Steve Jobs stepped down from his post as Apple's CEO and has taken the position of Chairman of the Board.

Tim Cook, former COO, has taken his place.

In his resignation letter he wrote:

"I have always said if there ever came a day when I could no longer meet my duties and expectations as Apple's CEO, I would be the first to let you know. Unfortunately, that day has come."

The resignation probably stems from Jobs' battle with cancer.

Have PC's Reached Their Lifespan?

2011-08-15T12:14:00.000-07:00

30 Years ago, the IBM personal computer was first launched. Today, PC's are becoming useless very quickly.

Dr. Mark Dean, an IBM engineer who worked on one of the first personal computers, has said, "When I helped design the PC, I didn't think I'd live long enough to witness its decline."

He, like many others, has turned to a tablet for his primary computing needs.

In a world where everyone's on the go, PC's keep us stationary and tie us down.

Although the PC has not been replaced with anything, more and more people are finding substitutes for it, which gives them less reason to invest in one.

Where is the Battery?

2011-07-28T17:16:00.000-07:00

Could invisible electronics be in the near future?

Researchers at Stanford University have designed a thin, flexible and transparent battery that bring the idea a step closer to feasibility. These batteries are about the size of a small post-it note and resemble saran wrap. How it's possible-the batteries' electrodes are arranged in a micro mesh-like frame work, resulting in lines so thin they are invisible to the naked eye. Currently these lithium-ion batteries provide up to enough energy to operate a digital camera, but with more development, researchers hope to incorporate them into cell phones, laptops, and other larger electronics. While finding ways to make other electronic components transparent is a challenge yet to be solved, these new batteries provide a nifty solution to help to slim all battery powered devices.