Archive for January, 2010
Top 5 reasons not to buy an Apple tablet
January 18th, 2010
AMPA, FL — Rumors of a pending Apple tablet computer have been heating up to a crescendo as of late. There are no shortages of people extolling its many virtues, sight unseen. Here’s why you should spend your money on something else.
1. Short battery life
Think your iPhone has short battery life? The iTablet will have battery life more in line with the current crop of slim MacBooks, that is to say, not very long. There’s a reason airports are full of recharging stations.
Tablets will almost certainly have to be plugged in. A lot.
I’ll bet the image of wires hanging off of your iTablet isn’t all that appealing.
2. Suboptimal comfort factor
A tablet is no iPhone. It’s a computer without a keyboard. The screen might be bigger, but the trade off is that it will be harder to hold comfortably. A laptop can be rested on your lap while you adjust the screen for optimal viewing.
The iTablet will be the screen, so you’re going to have to figure out a balance between comfort and viewing angle. The lack of a rubberized back could compound the problem even further.
3. Tablets are nothing new and they’re still not popular
This type of technology has been around for two decades, but has not been much of a hot ticket. Why would it do better now? Yes, the technology is finally there and touch interfaces have come a long way, but despite the headlines, no one is calling the new crop of Android and Windows tablets a game changer. How will Apple tablet overcome the endless hype? It won’t.
4. You won’t really need one…
What can you do on a tablet that you can’t do on a laptop, netbook or iPhone? That’s a tough hurdle. It’s a much more attractive device to content companies with struggling business models than it will be to consumers in the long run. There may be some specialty applications in specific industries, but that just relegates the iTablet to a niche device.
5. …especially not once you see how much it costs
It won’t be cheap, and if the rumors are true, it will also have a 3g data connection that you’ll have to pay for. One more hefty recurring monthly bill will be too much for most people to swallow.
Copyright 2010 The E.W. Scripps Co. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.
SCENARIOS-What lies ahead in Nokia vs Apple legal battle
January 9th, 2010
HELSINKI, Jan 18 (Reuters) - Finding a winner in the legal battle between Nokia (NOK1V.HE) and Apple (AAPL.O) will likely take years as the two cellphone giants use the courts to pressure each other into a licensing agreement.
Nokia dominates the global handset industry but has been losing ground in the high-end of the market to newer players like Apple, which started to sell its first iPhone model in mid-2007.
Analysts have said Nokia — holder of one of the strongest patent portfolio in wireless space, along with Ericsson (ERICb.ST) and Qualcomm (QCOM.O) — could seek patent infringement payments from Apple totalling as much 1 billion euros ($1.44 billion). [ID:nLN464459]
Following is an outline of the battle that is starting to unfold and what could come next:
DELAWARE, ITC CASES
In October, Nokia filed its first suit in the U.S. District Court of Delaware, saying Apple had infringed 10 patents in technologies like wireless data transfer, a key factor in the success of iPhone. [ID:nLM664007]
The patents also cover speech coding, security and encryption, and Nokia has alleged that they are infringed by all iPhone models shipped since the iPhone was introduced in 2007.
Apple countersued in Delaware in December, claiming Nokia is infringing 13 Apple patents. [ID:nN11260646] Nokia has until Feb. 8 to respond to the filing.
Cases like this usually last two to three years.
Apple last week also filed a complaint against Nokia with the U.S. International Trade Commission (ITC). It did not release details.
Their filing follows one from Nokia, which said on Dec. 29 it had lodged a complaint with the ITC alleging Apple had infringed seven Nokia patents in “virtually all of its mobile phones, portable music players, and computers” sold. [ID:nLDE5BS173]
Nursing attracts more job seekers in Ohio, including people who want new careers
January 8th, 2010
COLUMBUS, Ohio (AP) — Economists say nursing and other health care-related services will continue to grow in Ohio.
The Health Policy Institute of Ohio projects that Texas, California and Ohio will have the greatest need for lvn jobs in orange county ca in the next 10 years because of aging baby boomers. Researchers also expect Ohio to be short 32,000 nurses by 2020.
That’s why nursing is attracting people who are seeking new careers.
Travis Minzler of suburban Columbus quit his all managed care nursing jobs with an auto-supply company in 2008 and enrolled in nursing school last January. The program at Mount Carmel College allows people who already have a degree to get a bachelor of nursing degree in 13 months.
The 41-year-old Minzler says he hopes becoming a nurse will provide more job security.
Slappa Loren Laptop Custom Bag
January 4th, 2010
Slappa recently unveiled a new line of ladies laptop shopping bags. From that collection we received a review sample of the sleek and sexy Loren custom bag. The bag’s Designer style, normally found in handbags, merges shape fully with business practicality. Nothing about the appearance of this bag says it is for laptops. It simply says minimalist elegance. It is the anti-type to the blaring pink women’s laptop and reusable grocery bags we often spot on the market today. This is a bag that could seamlessly transfer from boardroom to boardwalk.
We say minimalist because there aren’t a lot of frills on this custom bag. The outside has two pockets, one on each side. One of them a zippered pocket, the other a slide in pocket. Inside there is a large padded plush lining laptop pocket. Opposite of that are a few little pockets for holding various small items. The largest would hold an iPhone and it’s charger. Mostly I found myself just dumping stuff in the vast void space between. There is lots of room there and it is amazing how much i could fit. I actually lost my camera for two days in it.
The custom finished faux leather is really quite impressive right down to the feel of it. The customized bag has an overall sturdiness to it that makes one feel safe to carry a laptop in it. Keeping in mind that this is a faux finish and not real leather, it takes a careful eye not to scratch it and ruin the illusion. The metal pieces are 5 micron plating so that they will not tarnish. Inside is a floral non obtrusive print that is muted.
