stay connected

Facebook meets RIM, Microsoft

Mon, 29 Oct 2007 07:59:58 -0400

Some companies might be satisfied with having multiple new dual-network devices to announce, but not RIM. The Blackberry parent company has just announced the latest development for the Blackberry-addicted customer: Facebook on the Blackberry. The new application uses push technology to let Facebook users see wall posts, pokes, and notifications without using a web browser. They can then read and write posts and comments while off-line or on-line, with Facebook pages updating whenever a network connection is found. It's another way to stay connected, and another reason for some users to become even more addicted to their Blackberry.

In other Facebook news, Microsoft has announced that it has acquired a 1.6 percent stake in the social networking service for $240 million--a deal that values Facebook at $15 billion. Microsoft will now sell Internet ads across the Facebook platform outside the U.S., expanding a marketing alliance first launched last year.

For more on the Facebook news:
- see DailyTechRag's report, live from the CTIA IT show floor

Cut the power cord...for good?

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:01:38 -0400

It's a glorious irony: the communications tools that have cut the cord required to move information from one person to another require multiple cables for multiple locations just to keep the batteries charged. A group of researchers at MIT, however, have taken a step toward cutting the power cords with WiTricity--a technology for conducting energy to a device across a distance of feet rather than inches. No on really loves their cell-phone batteries, so it's unlikely that there will be great resistance on that point. The real question (beyond the one concerning the ability to turn a research project into a commercial product) is whether customers will understand and accept a tuned-resonance magnetic system for moving energy across a room. Stay tuned and, for the moment, stay connected.

For more on WiTricity:
- read this story at DailyTechRag
- read the technology story at CIO-Today

More options for business travelers

Sun, 10 Jun 2007 20:01:37 -0400

The modern-day business traveler, coming down the jetway with a bandoleer of cell phones for the myriad networks to be traveled, is a nifty visual image. It's also a point of irritation for those who have to travel and juggle just to stay connected to the office and customers. Now, companies like RIM and Samsung have begun offering new options for U.S.-based CDMA users who want a single device to carry with them around the globe. RIM's Blackberry 8830 and Samsung's IP-830 support two GSM bands along with the two CDMA bands that each covers. The result is a single, portable package that should allow most users to roam the globe with connectivity intact.

For more on the new options:
- read the whole story at NetworkWorld

Picking the right card for mobile connectivity

Mon, 15 Jan 2007 19:01:36 -0500

Mobile workers need connectivity on the road to stay in touch, share data and stay connected to the enterprise. One of the best tools for this is a PC card modem, but as there are a few to choose from, users aren't sure which is the best card for their needs. A good place to start is a review of 3G PC cards over at Cnet where three options are reviewed in detail, providing laptop users with the goods on price, service availability and data exchange rates. Review