Small Business Computing Staff

PCWorld: Skype-to-Skype Over 3G With New iPhone App The new Skype software won’t work over every 3G cellular network, some already charge a premium for making VoIP (voice over internet protocol) phone calls – and Skype will start charging for 3G calls next year. “Skype has launched a new version of its client for Apple’s […]

ITBusinessEdge: Payment Processing For SMBs With Sage Payment Solutions Mah asks Sage’s Hammermaster about what to look for on pricing, how to evaluate security and common mistakes SMBs make when implementing online payment solutions. (Also a link to “10 Payment Processing Tips for SMBs” blog post from Hammermaster.) “Imagine a scenario in which every business […]

Wall Street Journal: Asus Heats Up Tablet Market The Asus products, 10- and 12-inch screen tablets running Windows 7, won’t be available until early next year, but the company is already set to launch an Apple-style app store for applications in partnership with Intel. “Asustek Computer Inc., the Taiwan company that pioneered the netbook, joined […]

PCWorld: Boost Productivity Using Dexpot Virtual Desktops Dexpot keeps open application windows neatly organized so you’re not constantly shuffling through the clutter to find the application you want. “If you want maximum control over organizing your programs and windows, check out Dexpot (free). This full-featured utility allows for distributing your running programs among distinct virtual […]

PCWorld: New iPhone 3GS Security Flaw Exposed It’s not the first iPhone security vulnerability uncovered but it’s reasonably serious and Apple has yet to respond with a timeline for correcting it. “Using a four-digit PIN to lock your iPhone doesn’t really protect your data, security and IT blogger Bernd Marienfeldt has discovered. In an article […]

Smallbiztechnology: Print Less And Save The Planet With GreenPrint The program costs $29 for home users or is also available in an ad-supported free version (but the ads are ‘tasteful’.) “GreenPrint is one of these little tools that you wonder why you have not been using them all your ‘computer’ life. For example, today I […]

PCWorld: Turn Your BlackBerry Into A Road Warrior Power Tool Recommended apps include WorldMate Live, an itinerary manager, Exgis, for travel expense reporting, Urbanspoon, a restaurant review guide and seven more. “Whether you’re out on the road for weeks at a time meeting with clients, just popping into the city for a weekend conference or […]

CNet: Video Preview – New Google Chrome Browser For Mac, Linux The new version includes features supporting HTML5 (an alternative to Flash for video among other things) and better support for syncing, while maintaining its speed advantage over competing browsers. “It took a year, but the long-awaited stable version of Chrome for Mac and Linux […]

Engadget: Preview – New HD-ready Monitors From HP The new screens range in price from $180 to $400 and range in size from 20 to 27 inches. Three offer full 1080p HD video and HDMI connectors. “While we pine for the days of large 16:10 panels, we have to admit Hewlett-Packard knows how to craft […]

Social Media Today: Social Media Marketing – Actions Speak Louder Than Words The author defines “action-based marketing” – marketing that focuses on leveraging collective social actions to influence consumer decisions and ideas – and suggests how it can be used. “Social technologies are changing the way consumers make decisions. As social tools get more advanced […]

New York Times: Using Twitter To Promote Your Small Business The article includes case studies of small businesses that have used Twitter effectively and advice on how to succeed using the micro-blogging site. Sample recommendations: listen first, then tweet, and don’t be boring. “Many businesses are struggling to make sense of Twitter, but even if […]

PCmag@Work (Small Business): Preview – HyperOffice Cloud Collaboration Suite The new HyperOffice includes improvements throughout, including the ability to drag-and-drop elements such as images and text boxes to quickly create intranet or extranet pages and open e-mail messages in tabs. “The newest version of the HyperOffice cloud-based collaboration suite was rebuilt from the ground up […]