Mobile is indeed the way to go for retail businesses today. Thankfully, many are already responding to the growing usage of mobile devices by consumers and it’s just appropriate that they do so in order not to be left behind.
Among the retail technologies available these days, the mobile point of sale systems are strongly being considered by businesses. A recent customer survey by Cybertill showed that 59 percent were planning to utilize mobile EPoS in their retail stores in the coming year. These are the furniture, stores, cycles, fashion and footwear stores.

A big factor here is the positive attitude of retailers. Based on the survey, 54 percent claimed they are very confident of the next 12 months while only nine percent said they were not due to factors such as the economy and cost of living. Continue reading »

If people didn’t know any better, most would probably think that businesses are impossible to operate without the use of technology we have today.  We know for a fact however, that businesses have indeed prospered long before humanity had any inkling of the gadgets and equipments presently enjoyed by us.  But how is it that most businesses literally experience a standstill when their state-of-the-art equipments conk out on them?

The problem with fully embracing new technology is the tendency to completely throw out and forget time-proven processes that could serve as a buffer when the necessity to shift to manual mode arises.  Of course there are specific business aspects and phases that cannot go back to such mode but this should not mean a complete halt to any business operation.  There must be a ready plan for critical times devoid of the assistance of modern technology.

We can readily observe that older processes are not totally stripped of the use of technology.  It is important to determine how operations can continue equipped only with the simplest and most available gadget whenever possible.  This will enable businesses to hold their forts while the problems with the newer technology are being addressed.

Problems with modern technology can occur at any given time whether for very brief periods or extended ones.  A business’ capability to weather the challenges of this nature provides consumers an idea of its readiness to fulfill demands in the direst situations.  The most affected business areas are usually communication and production matters.  Typical communication of today is comprised of email or SMS while most production machineries are computerized.  We can just imagine the effect of a momentary disruption on modern technology use but we would like to believe that efficient businesses are ably prepared for it.     

 

Searching for a job is never easy, especially in a bad economy. If only there were “an app for that”. Well, guess what. There is Actually, there are several iPhone apps for job seekers. The only problem is finding ones that are worth the cost. Here are just five awesome iPhone apps for job seekers.

Audio Job Interview

Do you get nervous in interviews? Many people do. That’s why this app is a must-have. The Audio Job Interview app allows you to select from a variety of questions to setup an interview. Once you’ve selected your questions, the app will begin asking the questions aloud and you will record your answers. The interview can then be attached to your resume or you can send a link to companies you’re interested in working for. Best of all, this app is free. Continue reading »

Mobile phone companies are earning a lot of money through its added services, particularly text messaging. Text messaging is the most used mobile phone feature right after voice calls. Actually, I think text messages are more commonly used rather than voice calls.

This doesn’t mean people should send text messages wherever they are. I’ve seen people texting even while driving, what seems to be a physical impossibility is being done with impunity by a lot of people. Thankfully, more rational minds are beginning to see the dangers of texting while driving.

US Transportation Secretary Ray LaHood wants to make it illegal to text while driving and he has publicly denounced the practice with the same level of gravity as drunk driving and wearing seatbelts.

About 16 percent of deadly crashes that happened in 2008 involved a driver whose attention was distracted in one way or another. This is an 11 percent increase from figures posted in 2005.

This is the right move to make. I’ve seen motorists who text while driving and they are road hazards. They’re so dangerous on the road that I want to shove their phones down their throats.

It all started in your typical college dorm room with a bunch of nerds who didn’t have much of a social life.  Using their brains, over active imaginations, and the strong desire to be wanted by their peers, they came up with a concept that they just knew would work.  The problem was that they had to get others to believe in their concept.

That could very well be the tale of all the other successful people in the Internet/technology industry today, but Mark Zuckerberg of Facebook is the latest nerd to have caught the whole world’s attention.  If things go the way they have been going in the past years, the world might as well be called Zuckerbergville.

There is no ignoring the fact that his social network has spread to the four corners of the world, earning him gazillions of dollars in the process.  The users of Facebook are just so many that the social network has had to create its own data centers and not rely on an external data center service. As if that were not enough, a movie has been made about the creation and the rise of Facebook. Mind you, even real nerds and geeks – not just the wannabes out there – have given the movie a thumbs up!  It doesn’t stop there.  In true capitalist fashion, Facebook is going to have its very own mobile phone in the market some time this year – or so the rumor mill goes.

That rumor has been flying around for a long time now, but recently, someone stumbled upon a patent for a mobile phone that seems to support the rumors.  We don’t know if it is 100 percent accurate, but hey, if it ain’t world domination that Zuckerberg is aiming for, then I don’t know what it is.  Do you?

A friend of mine recently showed me the infamous HiPhone — the China-made iPhone clone that you just have to see to believe. It may not have the newfangled technologies that Apple’s iPhone may have but the HiPhone’s manufacturer really did a good job of imitating the whole look of Apple’s Jesus Phone. It will really dupe anyone especially seen from afar.

Which brings me to the whole point of this post. We all know that China is the world hub for imitation goods. Name the fake item and most likely it was manufactured in China. I think it would even be fair assumption that the whole underground economy of the country is firmly entrenched in bogus and fake goods. But what most people fail to realize that manufacturing counterfeit goods actually have a far more significant effect than just fueling China’s underground economy and the proliferation of fakes around the world. By reverse engineering all sorts of stuff, the Chinese are actually learning what makes each quality item tick, what makes it expensive and ultimately be able to actually learn the skills to manufacture something just as good (if not better, in the most extreme circumstances). I respectfully submit that this thriving industry of fakes is going to be the real force that will make China the undisputed world economic power.

Why do I say this? Well, it’s simple. What would stop the Chinese from actually learning the secrets and taking advantage of the technology transfer that happens when a big manufacturing company transfers its operations to China? What would prevent them, for example, to learn the ropes of aircraft manufacture from established leaders like Boeing and Airbus if these are contracted to Chinese factories? I won’t be surprised if, in a decade or two, we’ll start seeing Boing 868s and AirTaxi B400s flying the friendly skies.

REDMOND, WA — Microsoft (motto: “Quit Complaining Or We’ll Bring Back DOS”) has unveiled its newest operating system, Windows 7, to replace Windows Vista, which itself is having a hard time replacing its predecessor, Windows XP. “We’re not admitting Vista has problems,” said Microsoft spokesperson Dawn Lode. “We just want to make up to our loyal users for those strange Seinfeld commercials.”

While Vista has enough serious problems that many XP users have refused to upgrade and new PC customers have paid a premium to stick with XP, there are a number of reasons you should consider staying with Vista.

1. Being one of the only Vista users makes you a “maverick.” It’s a lot easier than trying to stop Congressional earmarks.

2. With Vista gone, Apple will stop running the commercials with the Mac guy making fun of the PC guy. Sure, it picks on your OS, but is there anything funnier on TV?

3. You use the long start-up time to run five miles every morning. Don’t let your health suffer in the name of new technology.

4. You’re saving trees because Vista still doesn’t have a driver for your old printer. Don’t you have enough pictures of Pamela Anderson anyway?

5. The “User Access Control” constantly asking you if you really want to perform a task reminds you to call your mother. Did you call her today?

6. Windows Defender makes you feel safe. And you don’t believe the rumor that it lets Bill Gates see you sitting at your PC in your underwear.

7. Excruciatingly slow response time gives you time to consider your options before making tough decisions. Like whether you want to stick with Times New Roman or switch to Minya Nouvelle.

8. You like buying CDs. Who needs a credit card bill with 10 pages of 99 cent charges to iTunes?

9. You just painted your office walls Microsoft Blue. It doesn’t stop the blue screens but it keeps them from hurting your eyes.

10. You’re John Hodgman, the PC guy, and Phillip Seymour Hoffman gets all the movie roles for geeks. Not to mention Paul Giamatti.

Many web sites have discovered that one of the sure-fire ways to attract visitors is by providing free content and free “features” and “services”. It’s a business model that has served web sites well for the last few years. These web sites earn from the advertising that basically funds and subsidizes the But it looks like there is currently a shift ongoing that will change how web sites will earn profits.

Companies and web sites like LinkedIn Corp., ESPN (owned by Disney), and Skype Ltd. are now trying to increase their profits by adding in new features that its customers will have to pay for in order to use.

This increasingly popular method of earning profits is a reflection of the companies’ new views about making profits. They want to reduce their dependence on advertising. The new view is to entice customers and visitors to enter their web sites with compelling free content and then when they are hooked sell them premium services or subscriptions.

And there’s really a good reason to get more money from visitors. US consumers are expected to spend up to $8.55 billion on online content. That’s big bucks!