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Samsung Vs. Apple Patent Case: Round 2 Begins

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Samsung Vs. Apple

The two tech giants, Samsung and Apple suing each other for patent infringement is included in most discussions among techies. Even those who don’t bother to watch what’s happening, have to watch Samsung’s ads trying to show iPhone 5 as inferior compared to its Galaxy Note. When a verdict is passed and things seemingly cool down, there starts another war in a few days. Both, Samsung and Apple have grown into enormous giants that they now want to slay the rival and rule the future. The verdict that ordered Samsung to pay almost $1.05 billion to Apple has served a strong blow to Samsung. There have been hilarious rumors spreading about Samsung that it sent 30 trucks filled with 5 cent coins to pay the $1.05 billion to Apple. Though it was soon announced that it was just a troll against Samsung, it became so very popular that many media firms reported it as the latest news. → Read More

Apple’s Victory Causes Samsung’s Shares To Fall

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Samsung

The verdict on the patent dispute between Apple Inc and Samsung Electronics came out in favor of Apple Inc. The verdict caused concerns about the South Korean giant’s Smartphone business. As a result, the shares of Samsung Electronics fell down by more than 7%, wiping $12 billion off its market value. The verdict brought great benefits for Apple, as its Shares went up 2% at $676.71(all-time high is $680.87). The victory strengthened the position of Apple just before the launch of iPhone-5 and could empower its dominance in the market, since firms using Google’s Android OS may be forced to look at design changes. Smartphone business is Samsung’s biggest cash cow, and hence it is all set to contest. → Read More

Where Is Google Investing?

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Google is the undisputed leader in online search, but the company has investments which range far beyond its core services. The following are just a few of the projects which Google has put its resources into:

Google has invested over $350 million in clean energy programs, including wind farms in North Dakota, Oregon and California; this figure includes an investment of $100 million in what is being billed as the largest wind farm in the world.

Other forward-thinking projects which Google has invested in include driverless cars, a $20 million investment, as well as the Lunar X Prize, which includes $30 million from Google for the first privately funded team to put a robot on the moon by December 2015.

Google spends more on lobbying and campaign contributions than any other tech company, with a total investment of $10 million in 2011 alone. The company has also put $800 million so far into providing Kansas City, MO with a citywide fiber optic network.

Finally, Google has also spent heavily on its own online and mobile presence through the $1.65 billion purchase of YouTube, investment in the coupon site Retail Me Not, the purchase of the vacation rental site Home Away, the $12.5 billion purchase of Motorola Mobility and an estimated $700 million investment in its social networking platform, Google+. → Read More

Microsoft Contends With Google

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Microsoft vs Google

As more people turn to the cloud, the competition among cloud service providers has heightened. In particular, Microsoft and Google have made their way to the top of the pack, although there is still a big difference between these two providers.

In May, research firm Gartner Inc. reported that one-third to one-half of all businesses moving to the cloud for the first time are deciding to go Google. And this report came after a 2009 prediction by the same firm that said Microsoft would be outselling Google 4-to-1 by 2012, which turned out to be wrong. In light of these reports and other circumstances, Microsoft has taken great strides to contend with Google in the cloud.

Hoping to better attract customers and decrease the differences between Office 365, Microsoft’s hybrid cloud solution, and Google Apps, Google’s cloud service, Microsoft not only cut its prices by 20% this spring, but also added a new cloud platform.

Microsoft has a number of platforms available to businesses depending on the size of the business and the basic services for which it is looking. After its price cut, the least expensive version of Office 365 costs $48/user/year. This platform does not include the entire apps suite (so users must purchase add-ons to run the full suite as intended) and is available only to businesses with fewer than 50 people. In contrast, Google Apps for Business, the most costly version of Google Apps, costs $50/user/year. → Read More

How to Use Reddit as a Marketing Tool

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Reddit

Although Reddit doesn’t hold the same sway as some other social media powerhouses like Facebook and Twitter, it definitely has a legitimate online presence. In fact, it currently receives more than thirty five million unique visitors a month. For this reason, Reddit is a potential marketing goldmine for those who know how to take advantage of it. With this in mind, let’s go over some techniques you can use for performing market research and for directly promoting your business.

Market Research

One of the main reasons why marketers use Reddit is to perform market research on nearly any niche. Basically, it works by viewing an existing subreddit or creating one on a topic that pertains to your target audience or whoever you want to get input from. From there, you simply monitor what the community is saying. For example, if you run a business in the fashion niche, you might see what people are saying about the latest fashion trends. This way you can learn about what’s hot and what’s not and use this information to adjust your marketing accordingly. In fact, this technique is usually an effective way to perform market research without having to spend money on surveys and other research methods. → Read More

Apple Vs Samsung – Let The Games Begin

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Apple Vs Samsung

It’s the big one, the jury selection has started for what promises to be one of the biggest legal battles seen in the world of technology ever. With billions of dollars at stake these two mobile giants account for more than half the sales of smart phone across the world, that’s a lot of iPhones and Galaxy’s floating around!

Apple were the first to throw a hissy fit by issuing a lawsuit to Samsung last year to which Samsung responded by launching their own countersuit right back. These two have spent the past year snipping at one another, now with various countries banning sales of various products and smaller court room battles this proves to be one of the largest court battles ever seen. The level of details and technical specifications of the intellectual property rights alone will make this an incredibly complicated trial and with no offense meant to the average American who will be sitting on the jury, some are calling into questions whether the level of technical detail might be too sophisticated. → Read More

A New Challenger Appears: Amazon Enters the Tool Trade

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Amazon logo

When William Grainger imagined his supply company in 1927, he couldn’t conceive of competing online with companies like Amazon. As of April 2012, that’s exactly what the fine folks at W.W. Grainger are doing. Amazon has officially stuck a thumb in the distribution pie with Amazon Supply. Business analysts and distribution bloggers all over the world are waiting to see what effect this move will have on the industry.

Why It Matters

W.W. Grainger Inc. relies on purchases made from Grainger.com to support its business. The company sells industry-specific tools (from power tools to electrical testing equipment) to businesses via their web shop and also through physical retail shops throughout the country. Amazon Supply means to give them a run for their online money. There is a lot of discussion about the flaws in Grainger, but critics tend to gloss over what this Fortune500 enterprise does right. It is the largest distribution company around – that didn’t happen by accident.

It’s All about Trust

One thing that Grainger has on its side is time. Both Grainger and Amazon Supply are business-to-business ventures. Business customers are not going to trust just anyone. Grainger has taken the time to build a solid relationship. The dynamic of ecommerce is evolving, partially due to pioneers in the field like Amazon, but there were mistakes made along the way. The reputation of strictly online companies might work against Amazon with business customers. → Read More

Pinterest for Designers

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Pinterest is a fantastic image sharing website that allows you to aggregate your favourite images on to pin boards. These boards can be dedicated to different topics and you then pin your images accordingly. Many websites now have a ‘follow us on Pinterest’ button as well as a ‘pin it’ button on their images so that users can pin them straight to their Pinterest boards without leaving the website. Pinterest can be a fantastic tool for generating brand awareness and driving sales as your images can be pinned by one user and then re-pinned buy tens, hundreds and even thousands of others.

If you work in the design industry, or any industry that is very visual, then it is probably worth signing up for an account. Share your leaflet designs, packaging concepts, the infographics you have created and anything else that you think people would want to see. If you are a weddings stationary designer or a photographer then you are especially lucky as wedding images are very popular. One quick tip is to create image based quotes that reflect the ethos of your design agency as quotes get re-pinned more than anything else! Take a look our infographic for some interesting Pinterest stats and tips for using Pinterest as a promotional tool! → Read More

IT Work in Europe as an Independent Contractor

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Flag of Europe

Free from the constraints of a traditional job, independent IT specialists are free to travel the world. As independent contractors, they can find projects that are professionally challenging and personally enriching. Before traveling to Europe for work, IT specialists should consider several necessities that prepare them for success.

Prepare by the numbers

First, every independent contractor must understand the difference between working as an independent contractor and working under employee status. Contractors make their own schedule and decide other details that affect the project’s completion. These decisions include the pay rate, work day schedule and office location. Employees submit to a boss’s guidelines about the work schedule, pay rate and office location. While employers care for the tax deductions and submission for their employees, an independent contractor must handle these details.

Next, IT specialists who serve as independent contractors must secure a job before moving to Europe. It’s nearly impossible to obtain a work visa without an employer sponsor. Find a job in Europe through online job boards or by networking with former clients. → Read More

Social Media Security Basics

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Sure, social media has a great place in the “social” world, but as time and research has shown, social media has become a mainstay in business and marketing operations as well for almost all established businesses of today. Given the frequency and capacity at which many businesses conduct operations through social media, the more savvy technology buffs have pondered the looming question of whether all of this information exchange through social media is truly safe? In other words, are businesses aware of the basic things to do to make sure their information is secure? Chances are, no, they are probably not.

Today, over 800 million regular users log in regularly to Facebook and Twitter, many of which are businesses, but a large majority haven’t the slightest clue about Social Media Security Basics, which will protect personal account information, private financial information, confidential business data, and more, from being compromised and hacked into. This infographic seeks to outline those basics to know, so that neither you or your business will fall victim to hacking. → Read More