Toshiba Thrive Android Tablet

If you are one of the many looking for an alternative to the iPad and can’t bring yourself to like Windows based tablets, Toshiba may have the device for you.

The Toshiba Thrive 16GB tablet is a brand new product featuring:

• Android 3.1 Honeycomb (Yes, it has Flash!)
• 16GB storage, 1GB DDR2 memory
• 10.1″ Display with 1080p resolution (1280×800)
• NVidia ULP GeForce graphics for fast graphics
• Stereo speakers w/Toshiba sound enhancements SRS Premium Voice Suite
• Dual cameras – 5megapixel on the back (720p capture) and 2megapixel front facing with microphone
• Expansion ports! HDMI to allow connection to your big screen or a projector for presentations,  full size SD card slot, USB 2.0 (Both full sized and mini!), docking connector and a stereo headphone jack
• 802.11b/g/n Wi-Fi and Bluetooth 3.0 + HS

It also has a rubberized finish that helps you keep your grip and a replaceable battery!

There are a growing number of Android based tablets, but this one could very well be the best of the bunch (so far)…

To purchase this tablet, call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com – We are a Toshiba partner here in Greenville / Upstate, SC.

If you would like to discuss how this product or any other tablet may work within your business, please call us…

Does your business need something other than the Apple iPad and Android based tablets? The Motion CL900 is now available for order!

Motion CL90 Windows 7 Tablet

Effective today, the Motion CL900, the latest addition to Motion’s suite of enterprise-built tablet PCs, is now available for shipping with the standard  4 week lead time from Authorized Motion Reseller Partners.

The CL900 is a rugged, lightweight and powerfully equipped tablet PC purposefully designed, developed and built for business. At a starting price of only $899, the latest Tablet PC from Motion packs performance, power and integrated features into an ultra-mobile and lightweight design.

The Motion CL900 comes standard with:

• Bluetooth
• WLAN
• Integrated Front and Rear-Facing Cameras
• Corning Gorilla Glass Display Protection

Additional options include:

• Up to 2GB of RAM
• Up to 62GB Solid State Drive (SSD)
• Gobi Connectivity (WWAN)

There are also some supporting accessories available, including a unique desktop docking station and protective display film, as well as extended warranties.

Homeland Secure is happy to be able to offer these tablets to our Greenville / Upstate business clients! For more information, please contact us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com

Motion CL900 Windows 7 Tablet

I can hardly contain myself! One of our favorite vendors, Seneca Data, just announced a new line of ruggedized tablet computers that they will be offering in the coming months!

The Android and iPad tablet wars are going full strength, but it looks like Microsoft’s Windows 7 isn’t out of the running just yet.

Oh I already hear what you are saying, “Why Windows!??!?!”  The Samsung Galaxy S tablet running Google’s Android OS, the well established Apple iPad and coming 2nd generation iPad are all fun machines, but fall flat when it comes to business applications. Don’t get me wrong, there ARE people using them for business, and there are a growing number of applications for both platforms. However, Microsoft Windows 7 is the cock of the walk when it comes to business use. Over 90% of the applications our clients use are written specifically for Windows, with no support for Apple Mac OS X or mobile / tablet operating systems at all. Most of these Windows applications do not even have comparable or competing applications on other platforms.

That brings us to just why I am excited about the Seneca Data Motion CL900. ALL these Windows applications will run on it because it is running a full Windows 7 Professional OS. That means, our clients who have legal, medical or other proprietary software will no longer have to use a remote desktop application to run the program on a server, they can run it directly on their tablet.

While you would not want to use this type of device for AV editing (I would say Photoshop is out for sure…) it should offer plenty of power to run typical suites of applications, from Microsoft Office, to Prevail, and certainly all cloud computing / SaaS solutions.

Possibly of more importance to many people, this tablet, unlike the current Android and iPad devices, is a ruggedized! It can survive a 4 foot drop as well as being water, dust and splash resistant!

The CL900 allows the use of optional external devices. Currently, the list of devices includes a magnetic stripe readers and a biometric / finger print reader that mount securely to the side of the unit to expand the capabilities.

There is also an optional docking station that permits easy docking for charging, and more comfortable desktop usage…

Some specifications of the CL900 are:

• Intel Atom 1.2Ghz processor designed for tablet computers
• Connectivity via Mobile Broadband, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, GPS
• Ruggedized case. Display features Corning Gorilla Glass
• 10.1” screen featuring HD 1366 X 768 resolution
• Multitouch & active stylus capable
• 10.9″ x 7.06″ x 0.61″
• 2.1 lbs
• Up to 8 hours battery life
• Expandable
• Quick charging

We should have one in our hot little hands to test as soon as it is available and will report back here our thoughts. Until then, we will hang back and wait.

If you would like more information or would like to be notified when the Motion CL900 becomes available, you can reply to this post, or email info@homelandsecureit.com

Looking for a quality notebook at an affordable price? The Nexlink 4000SP series notebook which I have written about before is available in a model more suited to the home or mobile business user at a great price of only 599.oo.

4000SP Notebook from Nexlink

This version features a 15.6″ LCD display, Intel Pentium P6100 2.0 Ghz 3MB processor, 2GB of RAM, 160GB HD, 802.11 a/b/g/n wireless network, and Microsoft Windows 7 Home Premium. It also has a 1 year warranty which covers the LCD and AC Port (1 instance).

Why would you buy the Nexlink product over brand X? The quality is outstanding, the customer support, should you need it, from the AMERICAN manufacturer is unparalleled (you actually speak to someone in the USA, who speaks English as their primary language!), and the customer satisfaction has been much higher than with many other brands!

A docking station is a suggested option which allows you to connect a keyboard, mouse, larger LCD display, etc to the docking station, and drop your notebook into that station when at home, and then grab just the notebook and slip that into your travel bag without plugging and unplugging lots of accessories.

If you would like more information about this 4000SP designed with the home or mobile business user in mind, or one decked out specifically for your business use with an Intel i7 processor and Microsoft Windows 7 Professional  for instance, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com.

This offer is available for a limited time, and quantities are limited. We cannot ship this item out of the Greenville / Upstate SC area.

Anyone who has been following this blog knows that it was just about a month ago that I bought Android based phones and dumped our (until recently) beloved RIM Blackberry phones…

My thoughts on the Samsung Galaxy S Epic 4G after EXTENSIVE use are pretty much what I knew the day we first got them:

• Short battery life (Have increased that significantly through smarter usage of the device)
• Screen Unlock goes up/down (vertical) instead of from one side to the other like most, which is not a big deal, but takes a longer stroke to unlock
• Charging port is on TOP of the device, which pulls the phone away from your ear when using a coiled car charger and puts undo stress on the port
• When plugged in, still goes to sleep the same as when on battery (there may be a setting that I have not found)

Those are the major negatives, but overall, this phone rocks! Glad we moved all our business phones to this device.

We have now obtained another Samsung Galaxy phone, and this time it is the Samsung Fascinate, on Verizon. This is my wife’s phone and she too has moved to an Android from a Blackberry.

The Fascinate is a great phone, and I like it better than the Epic 4G for many reasons, one of which is that I didn’t really need that slide out keyboard, which just makes for a bulkier phone, but also, battery life seems to be better on the Fascinate, while still being super fast and having that brilliant display that the Epic 4G does. It also does not go to sleep while plugged in like the Epic 4G does.

A few of the negatives:

• Shorter battery life than the Blackberry (duh, much larger display, more going on here folks!)
• Charging port is on the top… Only important if using the phone while plugged in.
• No dedicated camera button
• No front facing camera
• No notification light (There are some apps for a workaround)
• And the number one annoyance – Verizon forced BING on the Fascinate owners. Again, workarounds exist, but why oh why do you have to be locked into something you don’t want?

In all, the Fascinate is another amazing smartphone from Samsung.

Last but not least, let me tell you about my first impressions of the Samsung Galaxy S Tab… I love this thing! After suffering with a low-budget 7 inch Android tablet I told you about months ago, I finally got to experience the Android OS on something that can actually support it nicely.

The Sumsung Tab is a 7 inch tablet that is basically an over-grown Samsung cell phone. It has all the features, except the ability to use it as a phone that you hold up against your ear (which would look kinda silly).

It really is an impressive device! The Tab is blazing fast, changes screens instantly, changes orientation instantly, shows HD video in beautiful color and motion.

What’s not to like? Well, it is NOT a phone. You can text msg with it, but not use it with bluetooth to replace a phone. The camera is only 3 Megapixel, but it’s not meant to replace your  dSLR camera after all.  And the price is a bit on the high side, but I imagine that will drop after Christmas, or at least I hope it does.  I checked out the Verizon Tab, but it is available at Sprint as well, for 399 with a 50 dollar instant rebate, with the purchase of a 29.99/mo 2GB plan.

Without a plan, expect to pay close to 600 I hear, making it pricier than an iPad. Which is going to be the obvious question on your mind… “Should I get an iPad or a Samsung Pad?”. Well that depends. The iPad is bigger, and well established, but we are days away from a 7″ iPad release. Obviously if you are a big Apple fanatic, with a lot of iTunes music, an iPad is a no-brainer, however, if you have no ties to Apple or iTunes, the Samsung Galaxy S Tab would likely be the best bet for you.

Planning on using a tablet for work on your Microsoft Terminal Server or via Remote Desktop? Using the Wyse app, the Tab would be terrific!

I was asked via Twitter if the Tab felt odd in my hand, in particular the back of the device. I did not notice anything of that nature, it felt natural, like I needed to leave the store with it my hand, but my wifey @PamelaHoyt wouldn’t allow that after the purchase of her new phone.

I’ll keep you up to date on the Fascinate purchase…. Until then, if you need any assistance getting your Android phone setup to work with your Microsoft Exchange Server in the Greenville or Upstate area, please give us a call at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com, we service & support for computers and mobile devices.

Homeland Secure IT Alert

Homeland Secure IT Alert for Saturday, October 30, 2010

 

FireSheep add-on for Firefox browser is proof-of-concept why you should NOT use public / unencrypted Wi-Fi to access without extreme caution.

Last week, a tool was released that makes it possible for anyone to easily hijack your web sessions from within a browser view. When I say anyone, that means anyone. It has always been possible to do this, but this tool is so easy to use, a child could do it, or is that a caveman could do it?  Either way, once the browser extension is installed, the hacker can see a list of everyone using the public unencrypted Wi-Fi network he/she is on and what sites they are on.

The person can see in a browser sidebar WHO is logged into Facebook, Google, Twiter, Dropbox, WordPress, Evernote, Amazon, Flickr, etc, and then they simply click on your session to be logged in as you. Yes, they become YOU…  It works because it hijacks your cookie which is sent in the clear.

So think twice before you log into some site via public enencrypted Wi-Fi!!!

What can you do about this?  Good quesiton.

Option 1: Avoid public unencrypted Wi-Fi, defeating the purpose of having easy access, but offering you the highest level of protection.

Option 2: Only use sites that offer SSL/Secure logons – Actually this is sketchy because to sign into the “secure” section of most sites, the session info is still sent in the clear, so be careful.

Option 3: Use a VPN back to a gateway at your office. This insures all your traffic is encrypted.

Option 4: Try information that is available here: Force TLS

It doesn’t matter whether you are using Microsoft Windows, Apple Mac OS X, Linux, etc, this is not a *bug*, it is the nature of the beast.

Be careful out there….    If you have any questions or need assistance, please call us at 864.990.4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com.

Homeland Secure IT Alert

The Androids are coming, the Androids are coming!

A few posts ago I talked about the number of portable tablet computers / pads that are coming on the market. Yesterday I took Scott’s Android pad to a Greenville meeting spot (Halfway to Habana) where we gather on Thursdays for fun and fellowship – nobody seemed too impressed with the device due to the speed, or lack there of.

While discussing the inexpensive Chinese import (called the iPed) with its 8″ display, wi-fi, etc, Phil Yanov / @thinkhammer brought up the Augen Android pad being offered exclusively by K-Mart. I had not heard of it, but I promptly Googled it to find that the Augen is far superior to the iPed in that it is faster and more responsive and that it is has the Android 2.1 OS loaded on it from the factory. Also, it doesn’t hurt that it is being offered by a reputable franchise (K-Mart) that would allow you to return it should you be disappointed with the performance.

I have checked K-Mart stores around the Upstate and none of them show the device is in inventory, but you can get a rain check to help you be  the first on your block to sport one. Will it be serious competition for the Apple iPad? I don’t think so, not yet. However, the Android pad devices are maturing and as they do so, the sales from all vendors combined are going to (eventually) cut into the Apple market share. (Still waiting on the Palm and Windows Mobile tablets to make their showing)

Here is a first look at the Augen from a new user’s point of view:

If you have one of these devices, I would like to hear from you, so please shoot me an email or respond here!  Have a great weekend!

Apple iPad being used more and more for business

My initial reaction to the iPad was that it was cute little toy, but then immediately after its release it became apparent that people wanted to use them for business as well as pleasure. First was the use of Remote Desktop (Terminal Services), which I wrote about and has been finding extreme popularity, then of course was Microsoft Exchange integration to get corporate mail and with that came ways to get connectivity without buying the 3G version of the iPad, using a MiFi from Verizon, and ultimately, hacking the iPad itself and putting a MiFi inside the iPad.

Now that some time has passed since the release of the iPad, we see that many companies and even government organizations have adopted them for real business use. Case in point, the Ontario, CA City Council has begun using the tablet computers and that alone shows how a new technology is changing the way we do business.

I’m seeing more and more interest in these highly portable devices from business users and as more manufacturers develop and release their products, we may see a tablet computing revolution, where the day planners, notebooks, notepads, and even post-it notes go in the trash in favor of this digital ink. And the SaaS (Software as a Service) model will make a lot of providers wealthy.

Businesses who want to get in on this phenomenon should talk to their IT provider to see how easily this technology can be integrated into their networks. Your computer service provider can help you get your pad /tablet computer linked to your corporate Microsoft Exchange mail, setup clients that allow you to remote to your Microsoft Server and much more!

If we can be of any assistance in the Greenville / Upstate area, please call us at 864-990-4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com

The Android Wars Are Coming

The tablet computer wars are coming…  The awesome little Apple iPad will soon have serious competition from some big names in desktop, laptop and notebook computers….

Cisco, Lenovo, Toshiba, HP and LG, to name a few have either made plans to release pad / tablet computers, or have actually got a product to offer. And that is just the tip of the iceberg.

No longer will you have to choose an Apple iPad, you will be able to select tablets based on the Google Android operating system, which will instantly provide you with tons of apps from the Android scene, and when HP gets their WebOS based system out, which was really part of the Palm lineup, that will be yet another platform for the tablet market. We shouldn’t forget about Microsoft (which some of you would love to), as they have an OS that is working on tablets also.

So how will you decide which is the best solution for you? It may come down to dollars and cents for some, while others may select based upon devices they already own. I was sure that most Mac and iPhone users would opt for an iPad out of owner loyalty to the brand, but the Android offering seems to be getting a lot of attention among the current Apple owners, enough so that they are holding out for the Android pads to hit the market!

Only time will tell who will come out on top, but my money is on the consumer in the end, as they are going to get many choices and the competition between brands and platforms will help bring the prices down!

There may be a few of you who want to be early adopters of the Android tablet and purchase an imported product. Buyer beware here – they may not support the new Android OS due out later this year…

Homeland Secure IT offers tablet computers built on the proven Windows platform currently, and as soon as HP releases their WebOS based product, we will offer that as well as any other products which are suited to business use mainly, like the Android Powered Cisco Cius tablet. Please contact us at 864-990-4748 or email info@homelandsecureit.com for more information

Google Apps offers in-the-cloud alternative to Microsoft Office products and BPOS

A major buzz word for 2009/2010 has been “cloud computing”, where your applications and servers are not actually hosted locally, but instead “in the cloud”, on a remote server or servers. Thus eliminating the need for you to purchase an expensive Microsoft Server and Microsoft Exchange Server, all the licensing, then the Microsoft Office applications for each of your users, not to mention the costs associated with maintaining and upgrading all this. Instead, you sort of rent the usage of this technology from an in-the-cloud vendor.

Let me go ahead and get the buzz words out of the way so the uninitiated will stop hating me.

In-The-Cloud, or “The Cloud” – Just think of the cloud as the internet. Something that is out there, elsewhere. Not local.  It would be “in the cloud”.

Cloud Computing, Hosted Solution, Software As A Service, SaaS – These are all the exact same thing, or variations on a theme. It means, the hardware and software is not all hosted locally at your site. Some or all of it is hosted at remote sites and accessible via the internet. Sometimes with a simple browser, and sometimes with a download of an applet or software package to access it. The largest part of the computing power and storage requirements takes place outside your facility.

Google Apps – A suite of software and services that is hosted in the cloud. These applications could potentially replace a Microsoft Server, Microsoft Exchange Server, Microsoft Office, and the need to maintain and upgrade all that. What you get: Gmail, a mostly web based mail application similar to Microsoft Outlook. Google Calendar, a calendaring system similar to what Outlook offers. Google Docs, which is similar to everything the rest of the Microsoft Office suite offers, including document editing via a word processor, spreadsheets similar to Excel,  drawings and presentations similar to Microsoft Powerpoint.  You also get Google Groups, which is a group sharing system with mailing lists, and Google Sites, a web hosting/authoring package, and last but not least, Google Video, a place to host your video.

Microsoft Business Productivity Online Suite – This is the direct competitor of Google Apps, and offers the familiar Microsoft look and feel. With this you get a familiar Microsoft Office and Outlook interface.

These are both great solutions for some businesses. And as the headline reads, The City of Los Angeles ditched GroupWise, a very expensive system to go with Google Apps. Could this be the right solution for your business? A free consultation with us might just answer that question. Please call us today at 864-990-4748. We will closely analyze your needs and tell you if either of these options will work for your application.

Homeland Secure IT, LLC is a reseller of both Google Apps and Microsoft BPOS, as well as other hosted solutions, such as Servosity online backup to backup your computers and servers automatically!  We offer service to Greenville, the Upstate of SC, and national sales.