Daily Bits

Mobile

Free laptop with mobile broadband

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The idea of a mobile internet has long been the fantasy of many a geek. With recent advances in technology over the last few years, this fantasy has now become not just a reality, it is fast becoming the norm.
If there are two pieces of tech that has really pushed the concept of surfing the internet ANYWHERE to practically a way of life it will have to be the netbook and mobile broadband.

First, the netbook has made mobile computing truly mobile. These small computers, practically, pocketbook sized laptops are so handy, light and portable you can put a netbook in a small bag. The other important piece in the equation is mobile broadband. WiFi may have untethered us from clumsy Ethernet cables, but it is mobile broadband that has truly freed us and now allows us to roam anywhere while still plugged in to the internet.

The best thing about these technologies is the cost. With netbooks, laptops and mobile broadband falling prices, anyone can have them without any hassle. Now, companies are offering free laptops with mobile broadband to advertise their product or service. Offering free laptops.

2007: The Year of Social Networking

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An article at PC World does a great job of summarizing the major developments in social networking space in 2007 and ponders over the prospects and uncertainties for 2008.

One insightful point mentioned in the article is how innovation at start-ups startles tech giants. Google, the great Web firm that one-upped Yahoo in claiming the search crown and hailed as the poster child of innovation was beaten at the social networking front. All the major internet firms such as Yahoo, Google and MS were done in by FaceBook which sort of perfected the concept of applications around social networks.

Social Networking is moving from the domain of an ‘nice add-on’ feature to a must-have even at the enterprise level. Various organizations are now waking up to the possibility that to attract the next generation of talent, it is essential to incorporate the flavor of social networking and connectivity within the enterprise.

While there were major salvos fired at FaceBook’s walled garden approach to social networking apps (which it did counter by licensing the F8 platform), it will be LinkedIn’s progress in the API space that will be really interesting. Being a site for business networking, it is one network that will really see a boost with professional networking going beyond just the website to the Web as such.

But another shift that can also be expected is the increased availability of affordable feature-rich mobile phones and compelling mobile applications. Apart from the enterprise user, the benefits of mobile applications have not really trickled down to the casual user. 2008 will hopefully be the year when mobile applications especially for social networking will really take off. Since Google has made several bold moves in the mobile space, expect a lot of innovation in this front.

Overall, its been a great year for Social Networking and for 2008 there’s a lot to anticipate.

Google Android Secure, Eric Schmidt Insists

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Google Android Secure, Eric Schmidt Insists (via slashdot)

Google chairman (and former CEO) Eric Schmidt thinks that his company’s Android mobile operating system is “more secure than the iPhone,” according to a ZDNet reporter attending this year’s Gartner Symposium/ITxpo. Apple would probably take…

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The Rise of the Mobile Superhero

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Every human culture has a fascination with superheroes. Sure, some culture’s superheroes may take on forms that are quite dissimilar to Superman, Batman, and Iron Man. Still, the idea of having someone to look up to for one reason or another is not unique to any group of people.

There might be a new breed of superheroes coming up, though, if the guys at Unisys are to be taken seriously. Unisys ((Unisys)) is an information technology company offering its services worldwide. They “specialize in helping clients secure their operations, increase the efficiency and utilization of their data centers, enhance support to their end users and constituents, and modernize their enterprise applications.” [Read more…] about The Rise of the Mobile Superhero