Apple Event October 23...iPad Mini Introduction?

The iPad’s kid brother could be introduced October 23, 2012 at an Apple Event.
Apple recently sent out invitations for an Oct. 23 event at which the tech company is widely expected to unveil a sized down version of the iPad. The invitation contains the phrase, “We’ve got a little more to show you."
Rumors have persisted about the existence of the "smaller" iPad. According to a recent Wall Street Journal story, the tablet will have a 7.85-inch screen with a lower resolution than the latest iPad released in March.
The screen on the current iPad measures almost 10 inches diagonally, a size that hasn't changed since the first model was released in 2010.
Apple has sold almost a 100 million iPads since its first release. The company aims to capitalize on that growth with the mini version, a somewhat smaller price tag might bring in new buyers worldwide.
The new "iPad Mini" is expected to help Apple compete with cheaper tablets with smaller screens. The Kindle Fire as the most popular of these products to date. An entry-level iPad 3 (or "the new iPad,") with 16GB of storage space and without 3G wireless connection sells for $499. Models run as high as $829.
The Kindle Fire is half the price of Apple's cheapest iPad.  Will Apple get the starting price low enough to capture a new audience and continue to boost App and iTunes sales?  Find out October 23rd at a live blog event near you!

Is the iPhone 5 a "Must Have" for Business

Let me start off by pointing out the increasing number of mobile computing platforms available to consumers today.  The platforms are improving year over year but are they being utilized?  The new iPhone 5 has some nice features, but it doesn't justify changing platforms if you are accustomed to Android for instance.  The phone just does not have any "Must Have" features.  Lets consider some of the changes in these technologies and how they may influence buisness phone upgrade decisions.  First thing I would consider is the need for 4G service.  Does your buisness need to download large pdf files?  Do you need to upload video or detailed pictures to your website?  Do you need to have these speeds anywhere and on the go?  If you answered yes to any one of these questions then you might want to consider 4G and I would consider Verizon as your service provider. 

Want to switch from Android? Then you might first consider what apps are needed and if they are available on the Apple App Store.  Also the Apps may behave differently on iOS. So keep all this in mind when you start discussing terms with your service provider.  It may be new and improved, but it might not be time for you to spend capital on an iPhone 5 upgrade just yet.  

Overengineering a Real Danger for Small Biz!

Overengineering is the new buzz word in Small business.  Capital is becoming precious and building too much too fast without the proper earnings and investors to fuel growth can be VERY DANGEROUS!  This does not mean cut every corner but limit performance that far exceeds needs.  If you foresee your business expanding in the near future choose products and services that are highly scalable. Avoid locking in high service costs.  When consulting an expert, it is important to mention these concerns.  Consultants will typically suggest a little more than what is necessary in order to ensure needs are met.  Consider limiting costs in low priority areas.

Dealing with a consultant can vary greatly depending on what information is provided to the expert.  It is important to convey needs in writing and priorities as well.  Force yourself to be specific and give as much information as you possibly can.  This will help avoid misunderstandings about the future use of technology.

Learn the pros and cons of open source.  Just because something is free and open does not make it the best fit for your business.  There is a lot of well priced software available that can be used to stay organized and keep your people working efficiently and productively.  Remember that not all software is created equal and try to avoid making major software changes when you already have software to do those tasks.

Once you have examined all the areas of improvement remember to think, "Am I overengineering this process."  Have I minimized the steps necessary to complete these tasks.  Do I really need this high end software?  And always remember KISS...keep it simple stupid! 

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Could the iPad Mini Be a Good Tool For Buisness?

Apple has spilled a little info on the iPad mini, the smaller version of the new iPad. Numerous other leaks have brought this product closer to a certain reality.  Suggested screen size is around 7.85 inches and likely a September launch. The Kindle Fire has that perfect $199 price tag, and Apple isn’t expected to dip that low, a $249 or $299 price is much more likely.  Look for a release around September 12, 2012 according to PCWorld.

All this being said...the ipad mini is a great price point for small buisnesses.  Cost is low enough to justify purchases for individiual employees.  This device could be of great use, depending on how apps will scale and play well on the new hardware.

Should I Buy a Retina MacBook Pro

Apple just released a suite of new MacBook products...and you are probably wondering "should I buy one?"  In the real world windows and Linux seem to rule the software world for business.  Since the MacBook Pro is portable, it might make a good carry on for travel and remote business.  The important part to understand is what applications will you need access to when away.  One think to consider, there are ways to remote into systems "at the office" to do your work away from home.  What is a must application for your business?

Everyone uses technology in different ways.  Perhaps you just need to check email and look at website changes or update log sheets online.  Maybe you need to do some accounting work.  Maybe you need to do graphic design work in which case you should already own at least one or two Apple products.  Consider all applications necessary and look at ways to use those applications as a Mac user.  Sometimes there are alternatives that are worth considering to existing solutions, but overall I suggest avoiding an overhaul of major processes and applications.

Spend some time at your local Apple store or Best Buy and get a feel for it.  Don't be too overwhelmed by differences from windows, it will come quickly and overall is more user friendly.  If you enjoy the feel of the machine now is the time to decide, how much bang do I need.  Again this will differ from person to person...however if this is not your primary machine try to cut back on the extras.  If you want and all in one machine to replace your desktop, perhaps spend a little more.  Remember storage options such as portable hard drives and network storage that could save a few bucks.

Is peer-to-peer lending right for my business?

In the world today, finance is still the core of what makes our society work. People must be able to borrow money and turn assets into mobile currency in order for the economy and people to grow and innovate. Banks have always facilitated a large portion of this and in many countries they are tightly controlled. The down side of this is that investors willing to take more risk can't find those who can't get funding. There is a great need to connect these lenders with borrowers. Many peer-to-peer sites have found that they can make money by simply connecting the two...with almost no risk to the facilitator. This means people can get a bigger reward for accepting the risk.

I would recommend a look at this article at some point, but I don't agree with everything:

http://www.businessfinancestore.com/2012/05/04/the-pros-and-cons-of-peer-to-peer-lending-for-small-businesses/

One thing I would like to discuss are interest rates. Why are peer loans so much higher in interest rate? The real question is why are the rates set by the Fed so low? The Fed set interest rate is not based on the market. The market dictates that rates should be much higher. Peer loans simply reflect a more market based rate. Also one thing to note is that the loans do not have collateral associated with them like an auto loan or mortgage would.

So now that you get to idea of peer-to-peer lending. Is peer-to-peer the right way to finance YOUR small business? In order to answer this we need more questions:

1. The first question is how much?

How much do you need to get off to the next phase? Do you need 5,000 to fix up your leased building? Do you need money for inventory? Think and come up with a number. If this number is greater than about 25,000 then you need to look at other sources. Otherwise keep going!

2. Do you have assets you could put up for collateral?

What could be used for collateral. If you find a way to get a low rate without sending everything you own to the pawn shop, then GREAT! Consider that fact of the asset getting repossessed. You will have bad credit and no asset instead of just bad credit. Otherwise keep going!

3. Do you have a compelling story?

People love a good story. If your getting the money to fulfill a life long dream, or to accomplish something you have always wanted to accomplish, then peer-to-peer is the way to go. People love to see money going to making dreams come true rather than paying off old debts.

The payments and payoffs are the same as a regular bank loan so nothing new to know about there. Good luck!

Zigbee vs. Z-Wave Home Automation Protocols

Both Zigbee and Z-Wave operate as a mesh network. Zigbee uses 2.4 GHz versus 900 MHz for Z-Wave. Zigbee waves travel on a more commonly used frequency. The more modules in your home, the more distance your network can cover.
Z-Wave can handle up to 232 nodes, while Zigbee can handle over 65,000 modules. The 2.4 GHz frequency gives Zigbee more bandwidth. This means it can carry more information over it’s network. Zigbee is an open source network.

Zigbee does win in many areas. Zigbee is better from a forward thinking perspective, especially for large applications. However, for consumer homes, Z-Wave might be more in line as the right choice. Zigbee can control more types of devices with it’s larger bandwidth, but that also means there’s more code in the Zigbee protocol and leading to issues with cross-compatibility. Zigbee does perform well, but inter-manufacturer interoperability has been noted as a major problem.

Standardization will be the key for home automation. So my bet is on Z-Wave for now and Zigbee will eventually win out once the open source format learns from the known mistakes. Price is everything in this market. Not many people will be sinking thousands into home automation unless the price of electricity absolutely sky rockets. Check out the Vera 2 controller to find out more. Vera 2 is an WiFi meets Z-Wave router/client that has backwards compatibility aspects allowing interfacing with less expensive X-10 and INSTEON modules. The fact that Z-Wave is not open source is not an issue. Z-Wave is more in line with most consumer home automation needs.

Understanding the Future of Crowd Funding

Crowd Funding describes the collective cooperation of people who network and pool their money and other resources together, usually using mostly the internet to support efforts or ideas initiated by other people or organizations. How will this idea change how business is funded? Typical business efforts focus on a heavy initial investment from original owners and heavily involved investors. This new concept gets ordinary people involved earlier than the public markets. The idea is to get support for an idea from the public originally than from big money investors. It is considered a more "organic" business building concept.

Other articles to examine: http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/16/crowdfundingstartups/

Cash in on the trend...Our Phones are now SMART!

The number of smart phones in the world are growing and will continue to grow! The smart phone isn't going away anytime soon. In the future, majority of internet use will be through phone, tablet, and other embedded devices (Apps on Blu-ray Players). Now is the time to prepare your website. Does your site need a specialized mobile front? This really depends on your product or service. If you really want to engage the customer to make a decision, then I would advise this be done as soon as possible. Perhaps you don't have a website...your doomed. Think back to the last time you flipped pages through the phone book. Perhaps you unable to recall such an event. Hmmm well guess what, in 10 years, NO ONE will be using phone books at all. These will all be online catalogs. Now is the time to adapt. Your buisness could go under in the amount of time it takes to build and promote a website to play ball with the rest of the gang.

Stay a step ahead of the game! Build rich websites, mobile sites, and apps NOW!

Smart devices are to reach 1.84 billion units by 2016:

http://techcrunch.com/2012/03/28/idc-by-2016-android-devices-to-outnumber-traditional-windows-pcs/

Use What for Doing What in Social Media!?

I have been asked the following questions several times. Why should I be on Facebook? What is good is Twitter. Should I have a LinkedIn account? All these services can be confusing. Remember these site are simply tools for connecting and sharing information. So how I may use them will differ from the rest of the pack. However, I am attempting to give a general idea of what these sites can offer and how I would recomend my clients to use them.

Facebook: This social media site has become number 1 for connecting with people personally. Facebook friends are typically people you know in real life in a more personal sense. Family, friends, old co-workers you shared good times with, and perhaps a few old high school buddies. The variety and scope of information shared here is totally limitless. People have not yet adapted to the proper edicate of information sharing. A post on Facebook should be treated as something more public than an e-mail to a good friend. I do NOT recomend you use this site for buisness networking unless you are quite fond of the individuals on a more personal level.

Twitter: This site is for quickly sharing information in a more open and public manner than facebook. Many people you follow and that will follow you will not know who you are. Perhaps you have similar interests, maybe you just responded to something they posted that was "cool" and interesting. I do not recomend sharing personal information on this site. Great for following company CEO's!

LinkedIn: This site has evolved a lot over the years. It began as a way to network professionally with individuals and companies. This still holds true today. It is very useful in research comunities for finding experts. The site allows you to list skills and work related information. It is starting to evolve into the furture of the online job search. Instead of applying for jobs the model for LinkedIn is to put your resume information into your profile and tag yourself as "looking" for a job. I recomend this to anyone starting a company to get familar with LinkedIn. The site is really not for sharing information with everyone but more for sharing info with groups that share interest. You might have the occasional, "We hit a million for the year and its only March!"

Hope this cleared up some of the confusion. Remember there are many ways to utilize these tools and I have really only scratched the surface. Also the sites are adding new features almost every month. Start focusing on the one you think will prove the most useful for meeting your needs.