Apple Selling Lots iPads to Schools

Schools Using iPad as Teaching Tool

Apple is selling lots of iPads to school systems around the U.S.  School systems including San Diego and Redondo Beach have funding initiatives for this effort.  The iPad is a fabulous tool for teachers to use as a curriculum tool for their students.  

WiFi only iPad 2's are only $399 while the iPad 3 is priced at $499.  "The iPad price cut unlocked some education demand for customers who had a bit more price sensitivity," said Tim Cook on the earning conference call today.  At this price iPads could last for a long time in schools if properly cared for.  It makes sense for school systems to purchase these devices for all students in the classroom.  

Verizon & AT&T Waiting For iPhone 5 LTE?

Are Verizon & AT&T Consumers Waiting for iPhone 5 LTE? 

Verizon & AT&T scared Apple investors over the few days by reporting poor iPhone sales on their earnings calls.  At the same time, Apple sold 35 million iPhones in the quarter largely supported by Japan and Asia.  It has been rumored that the iPhone 5 will be debuted around October of 2013 just in time for Holiday sales.  However, is the iPhone 5 LTE really that revolutionary?  Yes, speeds are faster but the content experience is still the same and the iPad experience is better.

I tend to think that the iPhone will become a lost leader and the iPad will take its place.  Why?  Content is consumed much easier on a larger screen.  4 inches on the iPhone vs 10 inches on the iPad is just a better experience.  If you are away from WiFi just tether your iPhone to your iPad and you don't need a separate iPad data plan.  

Throttling vs Network Optimization of Traffic

Data Throttling vs Network Optimization of Traffic

The widespread use of smartphones, tablets and other sophisticated mobile devices – coupled with accelerating consumption of rich multimedia applications such as streaming video, live TV, social media, and instant video chat – is driving operators' evolution to LTE and other 4G network architectures for delivering mobile data services. Bytemobile's latest Mobile Analytics Report indicates that a tablet already generates three times the data volume generated by a comparable smartphone. With next-generation technology, including faster networks and larger devices supporting higher-resolution videos, the data generated from a single YouTube clip could increase by five times. Managing network capacity has become not only the single most important business challenge for operators and many are using different techniques.

Throttling mobile data is a method by reducing the speed of packets delivered to the user on the network.  Throttling is typically done when a user has exceeded the amount of data in a plan or is congesting the network by downloading too much video or content in an area.

Network optimization is a different technique used by the carriers.  It involves caching and compression to reduce the strain on the network.  The goal is to not reduced the user experience while preserving bandwidth on the network.

Bytemobile® Smart Capacity™ platforms enable mobile operators to deliver the best possible experience to their subscribers under all network conditions and to differentiate their services based on subscriber usage. The company's solutions have been deployed in the mobile networks of more than 130 operators worldwide to manage escalating demand for capacity due to video and other rich multimedia content and applications. With Smart Capacity, mobile operators can improve utilization of existing capacity and control operating expenses, while increasing revenue growth and profitability. Bytemobile is the industry leader in video optimization with 50 operators under contract.

Byte Mobile's US customers include: AT&T laptop division, Metro PCS, Alltel, Cricket and Sprint.  Verizon & T-Mobile are not currently customers and may be using a different method of detecting high data volume users and throttling them instead.  MetroPCS is the most widely deployed customer in the US to date.

ByteMobile competitors in include Flash Networks, Open Wave, Cisco, Ericsson, Allot, Sandvine.

To learn more, visit Bytemobile.com.

Which Carrier Has The Fastest 3G & 4G Network?

T-Mobile USA HSPA+ and the AT&T LTE networks are the nation's fastest "3G" and "4G" networks, respectively, among Tier 1 U.S. carriers, according to a new study from PCWorld.  AT&T, T-Mobile top network speed tests.

PC World conducted tests on the networks of the four Tier 1 carriers in 13 cities: Atlanta, Boston, Chicago, Dallas, Denver, Las Vegas, Los Angeles, New Orleans, New York, San Francisco, San Jose, Seattle and Washington, D.C. The tests were conducted by Novarum, a strategic wireless consulting firm, and used smartphones suggested by the carriers.

Among "3G" networks, T-Mobile's HSPA+ network performed the best, with average downlink speeds of 3.84 Mbps. AT&T's HSPA+21 network came in second, with average downlink speeds of 2.62 Mbps. Verizon came in third with average speeds of 1.05 Mbps and Sprint came in fourth, with average speeds of 0.59 Mbps.

AT&T's LTE network provided the best downlink speeds among 4G networks, topping out at an average of 9.56 Mbps. That bested Verizon Wireless' (NYSE:VZ) LTE network, which had average downlink speeds of 7.35 Mbps. However, Verizon's LTE network beat AT&T's in uplink speeds, with an average uplink speed of 5.85 Mbps compared with AT&T's 5.15 Mbps.

How Much is Verizon's Upgrade Fee?

Used Car Salesman at Verizon Wireless Stores

A $30 upgrade fee is ridiculous and out of principle you should leave the arrogant carrier.  A "used car salesman like experience" is what you will likely expect going into a Verizon Wireless store today.  Verizon is now charging existing customers a new $30 upgrade fee to any existing customers purchasing new mobile equipment at the discounted price with a two-year contract.  Verizon is letting some lucky customers trade in their phones to reduce the fee a bit, but how that helps will depend very heavily on what kind of user you are.   All negotiable.

Negotiation and hassle is basically what Verizon would like their customers to deal with.  Nothing is straightforward and it sounds like everything is negotiable.  Atleast that is why my wife said on her last trip to a Verizon Wireless store and that what it sounds like with the new $30 upgrade fee that is negotiable. Verizon bogus statement says:

"This fee will help us continue to provide customers with the level of service and support they have come to expect which includes Wireless Workshops, online educational tools, and consultations with experts who provide advice and guidance on devices that are more sophisticated than ever.While the upgrade fee is not unique to Verizon Wireless, most devices can be traded in with our green friendly trade-in program at verizonwireless.com/tradein as a way to save money or potentially offset the fee completely."

Top 5 Management Tools for Legal Practitioners

Working in the legal field keeps you on your toes with something new happening every day. Practicing law is a career where no two days are ever the same. However, with all the interesting daily events that come with the job, things can get slightly hectic. That is why it is key for legal practitioners to be able to manage and organize their work efficiently. Luckily, thanks to developing technology, there are now a number of options and tools out there that can help legal practitioners manage their work more efficiently.

The workflow at legal practices require constant organization and great attention to detail. It is essential to ensure that the firm and its cases run smoothly as much as possible. As stated on https://www.clio.com/law-practice-management-software/, when lawyers have all that they need in one place, ie, one software tool, it can make their work lives much easier and allow them to focus more on cases. Having an all in one tool to collect all the data needed for legal practitioners to pursue their daily work efficiently is no longer too good to be true. As developments in technology have allowed for software tools to aid lawyers specifically in their daily tasks.

Here are 5 management tools that can take your firm to the next level.

1- All In One Software Management 

Legal practitioners take on a lot of paperwork and deal with numerous colleagues and clients on their average day at work, which is why getting a software management tool to help them juggle all their tasks and keep them organized would be particularly essential for them. All in one management software can help all the legal practitioners out there organize all their work and correspondence in one place. It allows lawyers to keep track of all their cases and share them with any company employees that are on the case as well. In short, it is a great way to monitor everything without having to worry about losing track of any files or forgetting any important paperwork that needs submitting when you are working on a timely case. 

2- Cloud Storage 

Some legal practitioners prefer to have different software systems for different purposes. If that is the case for you, then you should invest in a cloud storage software that would allow you or your company to store every little bit of paperwork or important documents in a safe place where they can never be lost. There are a number of software options that can provide this service to legal practitioners and their firms. Many of that cloud storage software can offer bonus services on top of the basic subscription but if storage is the main thing you are looking for, it is still a very helpful tool.  

3- Accounting And Billing Software

Among the useful management tools for legal practitioners is software that would help them keep track of all the finances coming in and out of their firms. Accounting software would help lawyers keep track of all the expenses and financial transactions that have to do with cases or employees of the firm. Billing clients is also an important part of the finances that any legal practitioner needs to be able to manage and stay on top of at all times. Investing in accounting and billing software can help legal attorneys manage all their clients’ invoices and be aware of what is paid and what is due. 

4- Time-Tracking Software 

Legal practitioners get their money through billing clients, usually by the hour. That is why one of the most important tools that any lawyer needs to manage their work is time-tracking software. This way, they can activate the software whenever they are meeting with a client to get accurate calculations on how much time they spent with them and how much they can charge them later. There are a number of software options available for legal practitioners to choose from that offer this feature, but they can alternatively invest in separate software for that sole purpose.

5- Intracompany Communication Software Solutions 

Legal practitioners often work in big firms with a large number of employees, many of which may be involved in one case at the same time. It is particularly important for all the lawyers working in the same firm, or together in one case, to stay connected and communicate everything that comes up with the group. That is why intracompany communication software solutions might come as a handy tool for lawyers. This type of software usually works on different devices with some options offering mobile apps that come with the subscription. 

Being a lawyer or practicing law in any form is very rewarding. It is an interesting career that is guaranteed to keep those involved happily busy. But with this type of business, it is important to be on top of everything happening with your firm by managing all the files, documents, and communications. Software services have been developing over the years to help legal practitioners manage their work easily and efficiently so that they can keep track of all their cases. Some services even offer all-in-one software while others you would need to invest in separately. In the end, it all comes down to what you need and what you believe can best help your firm become more efficient, and effective.