1. Qualcomm, a notable chip maker

    May 10, 2012 by elegant

    The Barron’s Magazine published a list of 500 America’s Top Companies ranked by the magazine on May 7, 2012. The San Diego based Qualcomm received four out of possible four points ranking the company number 4th on the list. It received a ranking of an “A” in all three major criteria used by Barron’s to rate 500 major companies beating other tech giants such as Intel, Texas Instruments, Microsoft and others.

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    Every 3G and 4G smartphone has a chip made by Qualcomm or a producer who uses technology licensed by Qualcomm. In 2011, Qualcomm sold over 483 million chips thanks to the explosive growth in the smartphone industry. Worldwide sale of smartphones are expected to grow by 35 percent this year.

    Qualcomm earned over $15 billion from the sale of chips. More than two thirds of Qualcomm revenue came from its own chips and the remainder from royalty due to the licensing of its chip technology.

    Qualcomm outsource its production of chips. Lately they are having trouble meeting the demand. However, in order to meet the demand created by the rapid expansion of the technology and demand from tablets and other home-electronics devises, Qualcomm is making calculated acquisitions of other companies.

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  2. Would you like to hire a NASA scientist?

    April 11, 2012 by elegant

    NASA launched its last Space Shuttle mission in 2011. Since that time NASA have laid off over 9,200 contractors that worked for the program as well as affiliated fields. They in turn laid off scores of employees who worked for them. NASA is faced with a dwindling budget and an uncertain future. Top scientists who once worked for NASA and affiliated agencies are becoming the biggest available talent pool for the space, robotics, IT, computer and related industries.

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    Young college graduates, who once dreamed of joining NASA, now prefer working for startup establishments hoping for a major breakthrough and a path to financial freedom.

    Some former employees of NASA have turned entrepreneurs. In Florida where more than 8,000 employees got laid off by the Kennedy Space Center finds it difficult to move due to the sour nature of the housing market. The Brevard County where the Kennedy Space Center is located is home to more than 17 new startup businesses. The story is similar for Texas, California and other states where NASA facilities are located.

    NASAs well trained multitalented employees may be the biggest talent pool available for technology companies including cloud computing.

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  3. Here’s social networking software for your business

    February 14, 2012 by elegant

    Does your company need to brainstorm among employees, communicate with partners and customers?

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    Jive Software makes a Facebook style social network for businesses where employees and their bosses can communicate with one another within a protected environment. Make no mistake, it is not a social media, it is a serious business tool. It enables communication between employees; communicate with business partners and customers. Jive Engage (formally known as Clearspace and subsequently Jive SBS) combines community software, collaboration software, social networking software and social media monitoring into one product. Intentions are to increase team work and productivity. It enables workers to communicate, share ideas and see each other’s work. It also allows video conferencing.

    Jive helps to increase employee productivity by cutting company e-mails and lower the cost of communication with customers due to reduce cost for telephone services.

    Intel used Jive software to create it’s Open Port, a highly interactive online community for the company. Other jive customers include VMware, Hewlett-Packard, SAP, NetApp, Linden Lab, National Instruments and many others.

    Jive Software founded in 2001 and is based in Palo Alto, California. Other office locations are in Oregon, Colorado, Germany, Israel and United Kingdom.

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  4. Are major companies disclosing cyber attacks on their systems?

    April 22, 2013 by elegant

    Washington thinks companies are hesitant to disclose all attacks on their computer systems. Yet Cyber attacks are continuing. According to Bloomberg Businessweek, Citigroup disclosed that it experienced limited losses from cyber attacks on its computers. An attack in November 2011, hacked more than 360,000 credit card accounts at Citigroup totaling $4.4 million unauthorized charges and costing the bank $1 million to fix it. Citigroup doesn’t think this requires reporting on a Form 10-Q. Similarly, Amazon.com exchanged letters with authorities regarding an attack on Zappos, a company which purchased. Testifying before the Congress, Dow Chemicals declared that it is under constant attacks and attackers are after intellectual property. Not only that, it distract employees from valuable work time. 27 major U.S. companies signed onto disclose attacks on their computer systems.

    Guidelines issued by the Securities and Exchange Commission in October 2011 require companies to report cyber attacks on their computer systems because it affects consumers. But not all companies are disclosing attacks. Many think that companies are not reporting attacks due to concerns of existing as well as possible future customers. Another reason may be lack of clear guidelines on what constitute an attack. Companies decide what constitute an attack.

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  5. A new kind of servers are catching on

    March 29, 2013 by elegant

    Google, Facebook and Amazon.com are shaking the worldwide server market.  Instead of relying on two big server vendors, Hewlett-Packard (HP) and Dell, they are picking parts and assembling their servers at other low-cost places such as Asia where smaller Inventec, Quanta, and Wistron are located to serve their needs.   These providers make up of about 35 percent of the server market.  HP alone accounts for 26.5 percent of the world server sales volume and Dell accounts for 21.3 percent.  The worldwide server market is estimated to be worth around $52.5billion and makes 9.7 million units a year.

    The ever increasing demand for cloud computing creates demand for big data centers that uses huge number of servers.  Another big area where servers are experiencing growth is streaming videos and online purchases mainly due to customer demand.  Large corporations to governments use servers to serve their data storage and access needs.

    Another development in the server area is single machine doing many tasks simultaneously.  In the past, there was a server dedicated for each task.  The new concept of a single server handling many tasks has been brought to operation by VMware and catching on with big users.

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  6. Vacuum Deposition Systems Can Help Semiconductor Manufacturing

    February 23, 2013 by admin

    Vacuum deposition systems can really help companies with the production of high-quality semiconductors.  Thinking about the production of something such as semiconductors is not an easy thing to wrap your head around, and rightfully so, but engineering can really help.

    Engineering is something that can change the world when it is done properly.  Engineering, when you think about it, is the very reason that technology continues to push forward in the world as we know it today.  When you consider the advances that we have made in the field of medicine over the decades, much of this has to do with the improvements seen in engineering practices. Medicine has enjoyed benefits of engineering due to the fact that we have seen vast improvements in the type of instruments and devices that are being made available.  This is helping people live longer and healthier lives, improving their overall quality of life by leaps and bounds for years and years.  Something such as a device that can help your heart is invaluable to someone who is suffering from heart disease.  Engineering is empowering the world to develop breakthrough technology and being a part of it is something truly special.

    UHV Sputter Deposition systems from www.dentonvacuum.com can really help you with uniform and quality production of all sorts of products.  The engineers at Denton produce Vacuum evaporation systems that are unmatched in the industry can will really help you with the manufacturing of products for your company.

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  7. Intel’s new gamble on branch predictions

    January 8, 2013 by elegant

    Intel, the world’s greatest chip developer and manufacturer recently announced that its CEO, Paul Otellini is retiring in May 2013.  It is also announced that it is going to spend more than $13 billion in 2013 to outfit its factories with advanced chip manufacturing equipment in order to capture what is known as “Branch Prediction.”  It is the way chip manufacturers anticipate the next move in computer programming.  Intel is counting on a chip that powers a new hybrid computer that is a cross between a PC and a tablet.

    Branch predictor is how it predicts which way the digital circuit will go in the future.  Intel hope for new breed of devices known as “convertibles,” a hybrid that looks like a clam-shell, has a keyboard, comes with a touch screen, and can be fold over to look and work like a tablet.  Lenovo’s Yoga 13 is somewhat similar to what Intel is expecting.  They point out to multitude of devices that were shown at the just concluded Consumer Electronics Show in Las Vegas.  It expects that people don’t have to choose between a PC and a tablet.  It is a gamble for Intel and tablets and smartphones are continuing to grow delivering more bad news for PCs.

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  8. Apple outshines Research In Motion (RIM)

    December 10, 2012 by elegant

    The BlackBerry maker Research In Motion was the enterprises choice for company provided phones.  It has seen its dominant 19.9 percent market share in 2009 for smartphones dwindle to about 4.7 percent this year.  Slowly but steadily, Apple now is the choice in the enterprise market place beating RIM and expected to maintain its dominance until at least 2016.  Apple recently announced that more than 80 percent of large companies are trying out its iPhones and iPads for employee use.  In 2012, an estimated 87.7 million smartphones have been in use by enterprises and Apple accounted for 37.1 million of it while BlackBerry accounted only for about 5.2 million units.

    Moving forward there are few issues for Apple.  It doesn’t customize any of its products.  It also doesn’t partner with any software developers to target any specific industry.  So, it has only “one size fits all.”  On the other hand, very aggressive Samsung Electronics works with many enterprises and industries, and willing to come up with specific products.  Moving forward this may become an issue for Apple to maintain its recent achievement in enterprise business world.  Samsung makes devices that run on Google’s Android operating system.  Another competitor for Apple is Microsoft.  It introduced Windows Phone 8 in October 2012.

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  9. Don’t expect your e-mail to be personal or secretive

    November 2, 2012 by elegant

    Headlines dominated the airwaves and the internet about the recent resignation of four star General David Petraeus as the head of the CIA.  He led two successful wars in Iraq and Afghanistan and joint forces until he became the head of the CIA.  The center of the recent scandal is an admitted affair with his biographer as well as co-worker.  Beyond the headlines, a decade worth of e-mails between the two that has been dug out by the CIA caused the decorated career of the head of the CIA.

    Your e-mails leave a permanent and indelible path.  Even if you cleanup your e-mail by deleting it and trash bin, chances are that some remote server may keep copies of all your e-mails.  Once you hit the send button, your e-mail may not be fully recalled because of this.  Most of us use free e-mail offered by those who push advertising as well as keep your information and e-mail for data mining.  E-mail as well as Twitter, instant messaging and texting is fantastic modern day technologies that help this and future generation’s communication.  Unfortunately, they keep track of everything you do and could haunt you in ways that you don’t expect.

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  10. The slow death of personal computers (PCs) to continue

    October 8, 2012 by elegant

    Microsoft’s much anticipated release of Windows 8 will hit stores in late October 2012.  But don’t expect PC sales to jump through the roof.  The worldwide sales of PCs are slowing while smartphones and tablet sales are increasing dramatically.  In 2012 worldwide sales of personal computers are expected to drop by two percent to about 357 million units.  The PC sales decline which started in 2010 is continuing its ever slow death.  Meanwhile, smartphone sales will increase by 42 percent   this year to about $294 billion sales.  The sales of tablets will increase at a much faster rate of 65 percent this year totaling sales revenue of approximately $59 billion.

    Today’s smartphones and tablets can do much of day-to-day tasks including Web surfing, e-mail, editing photos and more.  They also can do these tasks much better than a PC.  Cloud computing is changing the way we handle data.  Big data centers are capable of responding to customer needs immediately.  That may be why Google and Facebook looking into its own data centers.  Sales increase of smartphones and tablets will continue to demand and patronize big cloud data centers.  The storage giant EMC will also benefit from increasing demand for cloud computing.

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  11. Could Microsoft catch up to Apple and Google mobile computing?

    September 5, 2012 by elegant

    In 1980s and 1990s, Microsoft’s Windows was a mainstay in personal computers (PC). Today mobile computing dominates the computing market and Apple, Google and Microsoft are the three main competitors in the field of mobile computing. Google’s Android operating system is leading the U.S. smartphone market with an impressive 52 percent share of the market with Apple’s iOS with 32 percent share and Microsoft’s Windows Phone with four percent share.

    Could Microsoft increase its share of the mobile phone market? It appears that instead of allowing hardware companies to develop devices, it is taking an active role in making units. After Nokia abandoned its own operating system, Symbian, in February 2011, Microsoft now has a relationship with the company to make mobile units on Windows Phone, especially Windows Phone 8 due to come out shortly. Nokia released two new phones, Lumia 820 and 920, very recently which display an innovative design and improved navigation features.

    Windows Phone 8 also carries some improvements over its Windows Phone 7. Its new “Live Tiles” displays up-to-date information on the home screen. It also avoids litigation due to its innovation. Microsoft has a proven track record for launching a product and gaining market share.

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  12. Tips for Your Samsung Toner Cartridge

    August 22, 2012 by publisher

    When you are looking for a new Samsung toner cartridge for your printer, there are couple of things that you should do to get the most out of your toner.  Here are two big tips that you can use for your toner cartridge.

    Compare the Toner Yields

    •        Sometimes it’s going to be cheaper to buy the remanufactured or generic cartridge rather than buying the brand name, but it’s not always this way.  You should calculate your cost for each page if you are going to be printing a lot.  Then you choose the cartridge that is going to give you the cost that is the lowest overall.  Print the configuration page prior to changing your cartridge.  Then look at your page count when you’ve exhausted your cartridge. Divide that purchase price of your cartridge by your page yield to find out the price per page printed.

    Shake Down Your Toner

    •        Based on the amount you print and the amount of time you are using the copier or printer, you are able to get something like a couple more days to a couple weeks more in your toner’s life.  This is done simply by taking your cartridge out, shaking it well, and then putting that back into your unit. This is going to redistribute your powder in the cartridge evenly and lets the printouts be better covered.

    If you need some supplies for your Samsung printer or other things, you can go to www.samsungparts.com. They have things like a Samsung waste toner container and a Samsung Printer Fuser for your printing needs and much more!

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  13. Quality Los Angeles IT Consulting Services

    August 17, 2012 by publisher

    Given the number of service providers in the market today, you might find yourself overwhelmed with the number of Los Angeles IT consulting services available. The IT system is such as crucial business component that could either make or break your enterprise. Given this, you have to ensure that your IT system is handled by a professional IT expert or consulting firm.

    If you are running a business in Los Angeles, you can easily find a quality consulting firm if you know what you really need. Computer support Los Angeles should not be overlooked as this could bring drawbacks in your business. If you want your business to be always in shape, you need to maintain an efficient IT system. And apparently, you cannot focus on your IT system when you are busy running your enterprise. Thus, it is more practical to hire someone else to do this aspect.

    Options on technology consulting Los Angeles firms could be overwhelming, so better be guided by your preferences and needs. List down the qualities and services you need from a consultancy firm before deciding. This way, you will be clearly guided on the type of consultant you have in mind. This should carefully be checked against your actual needs. Otherwise, you are just waiting your money on services you do not need. If you want quality IT support services, you may consider www.calnettech.com, which offers a wide range of IT consulting services in Los Angeles area for various scales of businesses.

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  • Tip of the Day
    f you get a message from your bank or eBay about a problem with your account, it’s probably a “phishing” scam.