Small Business Computing Staff

New York Times: DIY Home Security – Good For SMBs Too? The Times describes several install-it-yourself electronic home security products that could as easily be used to secure small business premises. “INSTALLING a security system has long been considered the domain of professionals — uniformed men and women who build an electronic shield around your […]

Engadget: Free Wi-Fi At Starbucks Engadget speculates that Starbucks’ new free-Wi-Fi policy may lead to congestion in the restaurants. Franchise-operated outlets will not necessarily make the same offer. “Mmm… nothing like the smell of a warm caramel macchiato in the morning being masked by the smell of fresh greenbacks being burned, right? All jesting aside, […]

InformationWeek SMB: Too Many SMBs Unprotected Against Cyber Threats Many companies don’t know when they’re being targeted by zero-day and other advanced attacks, and often aren’t responding effectively, reports the Ponemon Institute. “According to a new survey conducted by Ponemon Institute and sponsored by NetWitness, 83% of information security professionals said their organization has been […]

PCmag@Work (Small Business): Apple Mac Mini Server Reviewed – Perfect For SMBs Pros include easy set-up, fast processor, lots of storage for SMBs and powerful command-line option for advanced tasks and management. Cons? Not many. Price: $1000. “Apple brings its eye-catching design and ease of use to the home/small business sever space with the Apple […]

PCWorld: Review – A Business Inkjet Printer To Rival Lasers The Epson B510DN is not an all-in-one, it’s just a printer, but very fast, the ink is surprisingly inexpensive and it produces better photo output than lasers. Price: as low as $575. The Epson B-510DN could become the first crossover color inkjet printer success, outperforming […]

New York Times: Preview – Cisco Cius Tablet Computer Times tech reporter Ashlee Vance discusses the announcement of Cisco’s Android-powered tablet computer, which the company will sell through existing business resellers as a tool for collaboration and personal video conferencing. “Forget the frenzy of the consumer market, the jazzy advertising and the retail-shelf-space wars. Cisco […]

Small Business Trends: Review – Volusion Shopping Cart Software Pros include no transaction fees, credit card fraud protection and good training video. Cons: configuring it beyond initial set-up is more difficult and the admin menu is difficult to use. “For many small business owners, the race is and has been on to create a sophisticated, […]

LaunchPad: Digital Asset Protection & Succession Planning For SMBs What happens to your business if something happens to you? Will your employees or partners be able to carry on? Not if you hold the digital keys to the bank – and other valuable digital assets. This article shows you how to protect your business. “If […]

Engadget: Preview – Powerful Acer Aspire 1551 Netbook With its 1.5GHz dual-core processor and 4GB of memory, this 11-inch screen model has more pep than your average netbook, but a price tag to match at $550. “Looking for a netbook with a little more oomph, or perhaps a thin-and-light laptop that doesn’t break the bank? […]

InformationWeek SMB: PayPal To Allow Guest Payments From Non-members A new application programming interface (API) from PayPal will allow developers to build (or update) applications to accept credit card payments from non-PayPal members. “The eBay-owned company introduced Friday Guest Payments, which PayPal has made a part of its Adaptive Payments application programming interface. The feature […]

Engadget: Problem Solved – Wasted Powerstrip Outlets PivotPower’s jointed sections allow users to twist and turn the six-outlet strip to accommodate six devices, even when some of the plugs are big and fat. “Sometimes my email brings me nothing but endless useless PR pitches, offers to talk with an “expert” on iPad cases or just […]

InformationWeek SMB: Proof Positive Why SMBs Should Use Social Media If small businesses didn’t know before, they know now where to find their customers – the Simmons report says 46% of the U.S. online adult population reported having visited Facebook in the past 30 days. “The love affair between Internet-connected Americans and social networks continues, […]