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Why ‘Work from Home’ no Longer Means Staying In 0

Once considered a perk of employment, working from home (now referred to in most job descriptions and tweets from people who aren’t in the office simply as “WFH”) is increasingly becoming a way of business life.

The numbers have risen dramatically in recent years, based on statistics gathered by globalworkplaceanalytics.com. The number of employees of companies who worked from home at least some of the time rose 70.4 percent from 2005 to 2012, the last year statistics are available. For people who worked with nonprofit organizations, the increase was 87.6 percent during that period.

The report “The State of Telework in the U.S.”, which is based on Census Bureau statistics, says regular telecommuters will total 4.9 million by 2016.

With so many people telecommuting some, or even all of the time, taking advantage of advances in mobile technology, communications and believing that they can be more productive, it is a trend that is likely to continue.

It makes a lot of sense, reducing wasted time spent commuting to the office, decreasing congestion at rush hour on the roads and on public transportation, and helping workers balance their family responsibilities with the job.

Of course, some workers who spend a large amount of time in a WFH scenario do report that they miss the social interaction they get at work, and find they get a bit bored with spending all of their time in the home office.

Thanks to improved access to WiFi networks in some cities, many restaurants and coffee houses, working from home is increasingly changing in meaning to simply “working anywhere I like, as long as it’s not the office. Whether you choose to hang out in Starbucks or you are lucky enough to live in one of the many coastal cities in places that now have WiFi enabled beaches, remote workers can now choose the location they feel most comfortable and inspired, pick up their laptop, smartphone, tablet and whatever else they need, and head out for a relaxing but productive day.

Dinner’s less a chore, thanks to apps 0

So, what’s for dinner?

There’s always takeout from the Chinese restaurant or your favorite pizzeria. You’ll find the menu from the last order, make a phone call, pickup in 20 minutes and dinner is ready to be served.

Technology can help out with this task. Dinnertime planning can be as easy as tapping the app of the mobile device in the palm of your hand.

Most popular restaurants offer apps as part of their overall customer engagement strategy. You can check a menu, download a coupon, share your experience on social media. A growing number also let you place an order for pickup without waiting in line.

If you’re looking for more variety in cuisine, if you’re looking for takeout or delivery options close to home, there are apps for that as well.

Apps for sites like Seamless, Eat24 and Grubhub list hundreds of restaurants that can be filtered by location, distance, cuisine, delivery charges and estimated pickup time.

You’ll find many of them in the App Store and Google Play store.

 

 

Tablet use for mobile commerce surges 0

We’re using  our tablets in growing numbers to buy merchandise, as tablet payments comprise almost half of all mobile commerce.

This comes out of a new study released this week by Javelin Strategy & Research on the mobile shopping market. The use of tablets for online purchasing and commerce is surging as overall mobile retail sales topped $60 billion last year, Pleasanton, Calif.-based Javelin says; tablets were responsible for $28.7 billion in mobile online commerce — purchases, payments and the like. It was slightly more than for smartphones. In 2012 tablets accounted for $5.1 billion in commerce.

Javelin says the devices are expected to become more dominant as a purchase channel as tablet device ownership grows. Tablet-optimized shopping experiences, such as apps, should be a top priority for merchants and businesses looking to capitalize on the growth of mobile online commerce.

You can read more about this here. Tell us what you think.

Tips to delete racy mobile content 0

The initial story was interesting enough: A youth group creates an app to educate students about expunging old juvenile offenses from their records.

But in bringing up the app for a Chicago TV news segment, the demonstrator inadvertently showed a link to a porn site on the mobile device’s browsing history. Some sharp-eyed viewers couldn’t resist bringing it up. And the adult-themed site has some advice for mobile users who want to keep their viewing history discreet.

The demo for WGN-TV’s segment on the student-created app, called Expunge.io, did not belong to any of the people interviewed or anyone from WGN, station news director Greg Caputo tells AOL Jobs.  The demonstrator’s typed search on the smartphone revealed links to the owner’s previously visited websites, among them an adult website called Pornhub.

A chastened WGN took the story down from its own site and off YouTube, though you can see the segment here on Mediaite.

Pornhub has taken notice and its tech team has some suggestions. Says company vice president Corey Price in a statement:

“We have had the pleasure of watching the WGN debacle make headlines around the country, and while we wholeheartedly appreciate the exposure as a result of the demo phone in question, we’d like to offer up a little help to users looking to hide their dirty laundry a bit better moving forward.

That said, we’ve had our tech team devise the following steps to give unbeknownst surfers some first-hand knowledge about how to delete their mobile browser history in the spirit of keeping things discreet, and perhaps a bit less embarrassing for mobile enthusiasts.”

For iPhones:

  • Ensure your phone is powered on – head into the “Settings” menu on the home screen
  • Scroll down and tap on “Safari”
  • Scroll down into the subsequent menu and you’ll find two options: “Clear History” and “Clear Cookies”
  • Tap on all of these to clear them out

For Android phones:

  • Ensure your phone is powered on – open the mobile browser
  • Press the “Menu” key, followed by “More”
  • Continue on to the ‘Setting’ button and scroll down to ‘Privacy Settings’
  • Click on “Clear History”
  • Press “OK” (repeat for “Cache,” “Cookie History” and “Form Data”)

 

 

 

 

 

Mikva Challenge decided to create an app to “educate young detainees and parents” and help them understand a process called expungement, under which juveniles can petition the courts to clear their records. The app is called Expunge.io.

The possibilities of Google Glass 0

So, you have Google Glass eyewear, probably equipped with prescription lenses. What do you do with it?

The wearable mobile technology has many practical uses, giving the owner the ability to record and share memories from their point of view, or accessing and uploading online information hands free. CNET’s Donald Bell has a few suggestions of his own here:

We see a few more possibilities for Google Glass:

At school: Teachers see huge potential in the classroom, from applications that allow students to take virtual field trips to the ability to document lab work from the student’s perspective. The availability of the devices to students may be limited, however.

In public safety: The New York Police Department is testing the devices as a crime fighting tool, allowing officers to instantly see a suspect’s arrest record, mugshot and other key information. They could also provide a record of an investigation from the officer’s point of view. An app under development could soon help firefighters by providing maps and floor plans of unfamiliar buildings, or diagrams for when firefighters need to safely remove civilians.

In medicine: Imagine a physician accessing your medical records, diagnostic information and potential treatment options without turning away from the patient. Google Glass could also become an essential resource in the operating room, allowing surgeons to transmit live video of the surgery, communicate with others and interact online using only voice commands.

Low-tech ways to protect your mobile device 0

California legislators are proposing a law that would be the first in the nation to require that all smartphones and tablets sold in the state have disabling technology installed that would render the smartphone or tablet inoperable if stolen.

As we said in a recent post, the proposed “kill switch” law could catch on nationwide as thefts of mobile devices continue to be a serious and dangerous issue. If passed, the law could go into effect as early as New Year’s Day.

tablets_artUntil then — or if you live somewhere other than California — here are a few low-tech ways to safeguard your mobile device from theft:

Don’t leave your device unattended. It only takes a moment for a thief to walk off with your $600 iPad or $400 smartphone when you’re at the coffee shop counter. Don’t leave it alone in public places.

Be aware of your surroundings. Avoid using it in areas that appear unsafe. Be wary of people who act suspiciously, and keep both hands on the device when using it in public.

Install a tracking app. This comes in handy in case someone does swipe your mobile device or takes it by force. Both Android smartphones and iPhones offer free tracking apps. You can log in to another device like a laptop or tablet to locate your missing device. Get help from law enforcement; don’t go after it yourself.

Use the protection features installed on your device. Whether it is fingerprint technology, retinal displays or a password, use these features to render the phone or tablet or iPad useless to thieves.

Treat the device like your wallet. You make sure your wallet containing your cash, ATM card, personal photos and other sensitive items is secure from pickpockets. Your smartphone or tablet has sensitive data, passwords, mobile banking information, all of which can be a big payoff for thieves. Treat your mobile device like you would your wallet.

Report looks at mobile’s impact on travel industry 0

The use of smartphones, tablets and other mobile devices is dramatically changing our travel habits, Business Insider says in a new report.

The Internet has been a game-changer in the travel industry since consumers turned to online bookings in droves to find the best prices for flights, hotels and vacation packages, usually logging in to third-party sites for money-saving deals.

The BI Intelligence report released this week looks at where mobile devices stand when it comes to the travel market and what’s in store for the industry. The report is available through subscription, but BI Intelligence does summarize some key points:

  • Mobile devices have become essential tools for business and leisure travelers, allowing them to access information and services event before reaching their destination.
  • Tablets are emerging as the go-to device for booking travel plans.
  • Airlines, hotel chains, and online sites need to stay ahead of the  mobile computing curve.
  • Expect to see new travel-related apps and features tailored for wearable devices.

Super Bowl in the palm of your hand 0

The chances are excellent that on Feb. 2, you will be watching the XLVIIIth edition of the big pro football championship game in your nice warm home with a cold beer in your hand, instead of the frigid and seriously pricey confines of MetLife Stadium.

That doesn’t mean you can’t access the full Super Bowl experience with your mobile device — unless you were in, say, East Rutherford, N.J.

CNN Tech offers some tips here to fans seeking an enhanced game experience with their tablets, smartphones, iPads and iPhones.

 

 

 

 

Well, ‘G’ whiz: South Korea banking on 5G development 0

CNN Tech is reporting that South Korea is dropping $1.5 billion into upgrades to its wireless network that will substantially increase connectivity speed for its mobile communications there.

South Korea’s science ministry put its intentions this way:

“We helped fuel national growth with 2G services in the 1990s, 3G in the 2000s and 4G around 2010. Now it is time to take preemptive action to develop 5G … Countries in Europe, China and the US are making aggressive efforts to develop 5G technology … and we believe there will be fierce competition in this market in a few years.”

It’s the next tech step for a country that is the most wired in the world, where 82.7 percent of the population is on the Internet and 78.5 percent of South Koreans owns a smartphone. This is a country where almost everyone ages 18 to 24 — 97.7 percent — has a smartphone.

But don’t turn in your 4G mobile device yet. South Korea is taking its time, with a trial rollout for a 5G network planned for no earlier than 2017.

That’s a long time in tech years.