Big Phone? Use Bottom Notifications with Metro

If you look at the current landscape of the smartphone world, you will notice that they are trending to the larger Phablet size.  The recent reports that the all mighty iPhone has a Phablet in the works is proof of this.  As a Phablet user myself, I find the most annoying part about having a Phablet is the way you have to access the notifications.  Making the long reach from the bottom of the phone to the top an be an uncomfortable thing.  I have started using Metro Notifications to get around this. Metro notifications uses the Windows Phone type of notifications that show up as a large bar on the phone that can be swiped away.  The initial configuration is set that the notification show up on the top of the phone.  This can be modified to show the notifications on the bottom. 

To configure the application for bottom notifications do the following: 

-  Open the Metro Notifications app.

-  Go to the notifications option.
-  Change the position to bottom.

This option alone makes using a Phablet much more efficient. 

What a $159 Kindle can Do for Your Small Buisiness

Amazon has released a number of products today.  I want to focus on one for the small business owner.  The Original Kindle fire sold for $199 which was a great price as it is.  Amazon has topped that, by offering a better performing Kindle at $159.  They are able to sell these at such a low price because they make their money by selling you content from their site.

With this low price here are some ways to incorporate the Kindle in your business:

• In a doctors office as a waiting room magazine.
• In a restaurant for an interactive menus where your Waiters/Waitresses show today's specials via video.
• At a car dealer to show all the available cars to a prospective buyer. 

The possibilities are endless at this price point.  If you know of any other uses, please leave a comment. 

Resources:

Amazon 

The Tablet You Know - The New Microsoft Surface Tablet

There is a lot going on in the world of tablets.  I posted previously on how Google wants to gain your business by giving you an affordable option for tablet computing.  Windows is what you more than likely are using for your business or at work.  This makes Windows more accessible to most people as it comes to business.  This is the tablet that is going to allow you access to all the programs that you use at work and  will allow for the intuitive functionality of a touch screen.

The combination of the "cool factor" and the familiarity that people have with the Operating system, offers an opportunity for a big seller for Microsoft.

The winner with all these moves in the tablet world, are the consumer, as they will have a choice of a quality tablet on every income level and all use cases.


Resources:

Surface Tablet

Ways to Incorporate the Google Nexus Tablet into your Business

The tablet world is about to make a big leap in the coming months.  The up and coming release of the Nexus Tablet, with it's current specs and fair price tag of $200.  The pricing of their tablet is nothing new , the Amazon Kindle priced at $200 at launch as well.  Where Nexus Tablet will differ in its impact is that it is running the native Android 4.1 "Jellybean".  This matters because the developers will now have a device that will sell very well and it becomes and incentive for them to create more applications.  For most, the lack of great programs has been the missing piece with Android ,  with this new tablet that will all be rectified.

The business minded will benefit greatly to this lower price tablet.  Here are a few ideas for how to incorporate this tech into your businesses:

Restaurants - When someone is in your restaurant wants to know the special, a great way to do this is to give your waitress/waiter a tablet and show the customer a video of the food.  Video of a sizzling steak is much more powerful than any picture of one.

Doctors/Dentist offices - Showing patients health information and x-rays on a tablet can really keep a patient's attention and drives your points home.

Car Service - One of the most unsettling thing about getting your car fixed is that you never really know if the people servicing your car are telling the truth or robbing you.  Take a video of how damaged that engine is and show them the video.  This will increase your credibility with your clients and separate you from your competitors. 

Resources : 

Gizmodo

Droid-life