What You Need to Know about the iPad

After months of frenzied rumours in the tech industry about the upcoming tablet from Apple, Steve Jobs has finally released the beast and it's called the iPad. Although some are a bit disappointed by the name, it has certainly made the tech world anticipate on its upcoming release.

The new iPad has a 9.7" screen powered by 1Ghz of Apple's A4 Chip. The screen resolution is 1024 x 768 and it comes with Wifi 802.11n and Bluetooth. The gadget will also come with 3G using a micro-SIM which means accessibility in this gadget is not an issue.

But there are two features that have really wowed the tech gurus. The first impressive feature is the battery life. According to Steve Jobs the iPad can run 10 full hours and it's standby time is one month. The second impressive feature of the iPad is actually on its price. Many tech experts believe that the product might be priced no less than $600 but everyone was surprised when the product will be introduced at $499.

With $499, you'll get an iPad with 16GB of internal memory with no 3G. It's actually a very good deal considering the product came from Apple. The base price for 3G enabled Wifi is at $629.
While the product sounds and looks very impressive many are quick to point out some limitations of the gadget. Like the iPhone and iPod Touch, the iPad doesn't support Flash. No camera can be found in the gadget and multi-tasking is not available.
The iPad (Wifi only) will be released 60 days after its announcement. The 3G-enabled version will be available in three months.

Pocket Projectors

Pocket projectors are gaining in popularity these days because of their ability to display images and videos on the wall without any monitors. As the name suggests, it's a miniature projector that can be easily taken to places. The price range of this device is from $200 to $350. With this price range, the pocket projector costs only 50% less than regular projectors.

While these projectors are light and not as expensive compared to regular projectors, the gadget does have some disadvantages. Among them is its short battery life. Pocket projectors will last only 120 minutes or shorter depending on the quality of image or videos. Another disadvantage is the screen size. Regular projectors can easily emulate 1/2 of the regular theater. Pocket projectors, on the other hand, will only display up to 50 inches. There is also an issue on lighting. Most, if not all, pocket projectors will require darker locations so that the image will be easily displayed.

But even with the disadvantages, a pocket projector is still a good product for businesses who wants to have a lighter projector that can be used on the go. It's just a matter of selecting the right pocket projector. In this case, it's highly recommended to look for products that came out from well known manufacturers. Aside from product support, reliability and durability is always an issue for such a small device. It's also recommended to consider a pocket projector with an internal memory or can hold a memory card. This will eliminate the need for computers or other sources.

Safe for Business

Protection should always be a priority for every business. A small business robbed of everything it’s got in one night can be debilitating and will practically ruin the chances of development. Fire and other accidents should also be considered by business owners as these can cause inconvenience and losses.

For that reason, one of the recommended products for safety is a "file safe". This is where money, documents and other valuable items are kept as they can't be easily opened. They come in various shapes and sizes as well as different features that will complement any business setting.

Fire Proof File Safe is a Must
Although there are many features that can be integrated in a fire safe, there is one basic features that should not be missed: the safe should be fireproof. With this feature, businesses can be assured that the important documents and other valuables can still be retrieved and usable even after a fire.

Choosing the Right Size
Although a business will definitely benefit from a large safe, it's still a must for many business owners to think twice about the size of the needed safe. As much as possible a safe should have the right size. While a light safe can be easily carried by robbers, they can be easily hidden and kept secret. A heavy safe can be easily noticed and could be forced to open.

A safe is just another office tool that ensures the safety of important documents. But it's important to carefully choose the right safe to avoid inconvenience and increase security.

Small Gadgets for Business Laptops

Businesses that own laptops have to make sure their laptops would stay in top shape after 2 to 3 years of use. While they should change their laptop after a few years to keep up with the latest applications, protecting a laptop is a must to prevent data loss.

To avoid horrible consequences of data loss and general laptop problems, here are some of the must-buy gadgets:


• USB Hard Drive - a 500GB portable hard drive can be very useful for businesses. The data can be stored in the portable USB Hard Drive instead in laptops. This is highly recommended for business owners who require huge storage capabilities for their data.

• USB Fan with USB Hub - a laptop can easily generate heat on the bottom. Occurrence of overheating could be rare but there is always the possibility that the laptop could slow down in its performance because of overheating. A USB Fan with USB Hub could prevent overheating and can even protect your lap from excess heat during use.

• Wifi Detector - there will always be places that do not have any Wifi connection. Instead of verifying this fact by switching the laptop on, a Wifi Detector would be a better idea. The name of the device says its all - its sole purpose is to detect the place for Wifi presence.


These are small yet must have devices for business laptops. They will ease the burden of keeping laptops in optimum condition without too much extra spending.

Is Your Office Ready for DSLR Camera?

Photos and images are very useful for businesses. They are used to document meetings and interaction between clients or could be used by businesses to document the fun activities of their employees. But using a small digital camera might not be a good way to document these activities. Your business might now need DSLR cameras.

A DSLR or Digital Single Lens Reflex camera is a powerful form of camera that can capture images in various conditions. These gadgets are used by many, if not all professional photographers because of the image quality they provide. A business that documents the activities in DSLR cameras are ensuring quality images in case the images have to be viewed, edited or even printed.

But DSLR cameras are not just your regular point-and-shoot digital cameras. This type of cameras requires familiarity to basic photography as images might not come out well even though image comes with high resolution. Before purchasing this type of camera, it's a must for business to know first if there's anyone familiar with this gadget.

The only downside of DSLR cameras are their price. A mid-range digital camera costs no less than $400 and a high-end digital camera could cost more than $1000 without accessories such as batteries and slings. If the camera is used for basic office functions, the mid-range camera should be more than enough. With a decent DSLR camera, your business will have that professional impression to clients since you use this type of camera instead of simply documenting the occasion with basic digital.

Fingerprint time attendance system

Fingerprint time attendance is a highly efficient time monitoring technology. It can't be easily beaten by other up and coming technologies since it uses a simple yet reliable method to monitor the employee's time - the fingerprint. Instead of an awkward face, voice and other forms of recognition for time attendance, a mere thumbprint will log-in or log out a person at work.

The technology is also safe from possible fraud because employees have to literally cut off their thumb just to remotely fool the system. Fortunately, the popularity of fingerprint technology has decreased the price of this gadget that small offices can now consider this device. A small business will be able to implement this system and with a few employees, the fingerprint scanner could be running in just a few days. The most affordable version of this system costs no more than $250.

At this price, businesses will be able to implement a system that will log the time-in and time-out of the employees. However, many fingerprint time attendance systems can be easily integrated with accounting applications such as QuickBooks. This can easily help the accounting department but this feature will easily shoot up the price of the system and will limit the number of users. For this reason, integration with accounting application is only recommended when there are more than 50 employees in the company.

A fingerprint scanner for a time attendance is a simply but very useful tool. But careful consideration on features is recommended to choose the right product at a reasonable price.

All-in-One PCs for the Office

An "all-in-one" PC is a form of personal computer that does not come with a separate CPU (Central Processing Unit). Thanks to technology, the hardware needed to run the computer is placed below and at the back of the monitor. The DVD slot and other peripherals are usually placed at the back of the computer monitor as well. It provides the ultimate convenience for office since it saves on space and they usually come in larger screens. Users simply attach a keyboard and mouse to use the PC. The all-in-one PC was designed for family use since it's built to handle media, games and document processing well. But businesses can also benefit from the design.

Aside from space, it's powerful for most (if not all) basic functions in the office, good screen size without asking too much. There are impressive all-in-one PCs that do not cost more than $400 especially the basic configuration. With that price, you get a good processor (Atom), a hard drive that's no less than 160GB, 18.5" or more in screen size and Windows 7. Most all-in-one PCs will immediately work with fewer configurations especially if the office has Wifi. Your office can also enjoy this type of PC for entertainment because of its ability to handle most high-definition videos.

The only disadvantage of the all-in-one PCs is that many of the designs offer limited upgrades. But the current configuration and for basic office needs, the all-in-one PC will work well for various offices for many years.

Smart iPhone Apps

iPhone is not just a fad phone. Under the right circumstances, the phone can become a powerful office device that can aid professionals anywhere. The following are free applications for entrepreneurs that transform the phone into a powerful office tool.

Whiteboard - Have a virtual drawing board in your iPhone that can be viewed and manipulated by another user. The application works perfectly on Wifi and the application can be used for collaboration for better ideas. You can use the ease of interaction with iPhone to create clear notes during the meeting.

Voicenotes - Have an idea in mind? Don't use the iPhone to write notes and waste time. Simply launch Voicenotes in your iPhone and dictate your idea. It's a simple but highly efficient voice recorder. The best thing about the application is that it's straightforward so there's no confusion on how to use the application.

Free RSS Reader - The name of the application says it all. This RSS reader will get you connected to the latest news on your preferred subject. It will take time to configure because of the keywords required but once the application is fully configured, it will work with virtually no additional tweaking.

Remote Desktop Lite - Never miss a file again with this application. Accessible via Wifi, 3G or EDGE, the application will allow you to access your PC anywhere. Although there is no sound support, the application should be good enough to view files and even manipulate your computer from a remote location. A business version exists but small business and solo professionals can gain a lot from the free version.

Office collaboration tool

Two heads are better than one - this is the idea of online or offline collaboration tools as they provide a platform for business and individuals to share what they know. The power of the internet has practically destroyed the boundaries of ideas. Aside from sharing ideas in one area, the world can contribute if users allow them.
The following are popular formats for online collaboration: project management and document creation. A collaborative tool for project management is basically an online manager but allows everyone to contribute and provide updates. This is often established by project managers but many small office tasks can also benefit from this tool.

Document creation, on the other hand, allow users to provide additional information on the document at will. Google Docs and WriteWith are two of the most popular collaborative tools for document creation and editing.
There are also collaborative tools that are not necessarily for business processes. Ning, Nexo and WetPaint are considered "heavyweights" in this category because these sites are online boards for members. These sites allow users to blog, post videos, photos and other multi-media for everyone to see. This is not necessarily collaboration but this is very useful for information sharing. But online collaboration is not just based on project management, document creation and social networking. There are even sites that allow free video and audio conferencing. These tools might require software to run but they can be used for free. Collaboration doesn't have to be a tedious process with the help of these online tools.

Choose the right courier

Office delivery is a vital part of operation for many small and large scale businesses. Some businesses deliver goods and essential products to their customers to complete the business transaction. Other businesses simply need couriers so that some documents can be delivered to their business partners.
Businesses have two options for delivery. The first option is to have a dedicated group for delivery. This is often required for businesses with heavy delivery or those that need immediate delivery of goods, products or documents. The second option is to outsource delivery. This is the more affordable option since businesses only need to pay per delivery.
Obviously, most businesses choose to outsource their delivery to other businesses. But the challenge in choosing an outsourced service is always the timeliness of delivery. Some courier services might not provide the expected service that can definitely hurt the business process. For that reason, businesses have to choose a courier service based on the following criteria:
• Reputation - a little bit of research will not hurt in knowing the best courier service.
• Manpower - the number of delivery personnel is important since it will be the basis for their capacity in delivery.
• Equipment/vehicle - tracking gadgets as well as vehicles should never be ignored. There are small companies that rely on bike messengers which is a lot more affordable but slower.
• Scope - there are local couriers that that do not do national delivery but can be a bit less expensive.
Courier delivery is a small but essential part of business transaction. Careful selection of the outsourcing company should be made to ensure smooth delivery of documents and goods.