More Wireless Networking In Depth

Why a Blackberry Is Better Than an iPhone

The BlackBerry has always been a business phone. The iPhone wowed us all--and it nearly put BlackBerry out of business--but it emphasizes entertainment and not productivity. If you're an IT executive, it's finally time to put function before form, CIO.com columnist Rob Enderle writes.

Tech Titans Talk: The IDG Enterprise Interview Series

In the IDG Enterprise Interview Series, you'll hear from technology CIOs and CEOs on today's burgeoning trends, ongoing headaches and upcoming product plans. Check out this informative series from IDG Enterprise Chief Content Officer John Gallant and his team of editors.

What I learned living abroad as a digital nomad

Digital nomad Mike Elgan returns to the U.S. after 10 months of travel and shares these tips for working and living abroad.

IoT development needs context and leadership

The Internet of Things (IoT) is a concept first suggested in 1999 by Kevin Ashton, the co-founder of Auto-ID Center at MIT. And it's popular again--thanks to mobility and the maturing of tracking technologies like RFID, NFC, and QR codes, according to Claus Mortensen, principal of emerging technologies at IDC Asia Pacific.

Directly connected to the Internet of Things

Last week here in Backspin I discussed how real-world "things" that aren't easily augmented with digital instrumentation, such as bicycles, cars and even dogs, can be indirectly connected to the Internet of Things (IoT) using physical ID tags and online proxies. This is, as I pointed out, a powerful concept.

Mobile data and messaging exceeds voice revenues for the first time on mobiles: Telsyte

The value of mobile data and messaging revenues has exceeded voice call revenues for the first time in Australia, according to new research from technology analyst firm, Telsyte.

Gauging BYOD acceptance

The debate about the bring-your-own-device movement (BYOD) has quieted down, mostly because, it seems, while IT has been over in the corner arguing the pros and cons, employees have been streaming into office with their shiny new toys and using them to get work done.

BlackBerry fans should like the Z10; not sure about other smartphone fans

Shaw reviews BlackBerry's Z10 smartphone.

Beacon Audio Phoenix is an unimpressive portable Bluetooth speaker

Beacon Audio's $100 Phoenix is a (very) portable Bluetooth speaker: It weighs less than half a pound, and is roughly equivalent in size to a three-inch cube. It's available in pink, yellow, red, blue, and black; my review unit was blue.

BYOL: Bring your own liabilities

What are the legal ramifications of allowing staff to bring their own mobile devices to work and where is the dividing line between organisational and employee risk?

Big Blue Media Tower mostly disappoints

Brookstone's $300 Big Blue Media Tower is an unusual entrant into the world of speaker bars. It's powerful, it offers pretty good audio quality, and it includes Bluetooth connectivity, but the speaker's design seems odd. It's meant to serve as both a music speaker and an entertainment-center audio hub, but it uses a tower design that presents a placement predicament: You don't want to put the Tower smack-dab in front of your TV, but if you place it off to the side instead, won't you be listening to off-center audio?

Zooka wireless speaker bar mostly disappoints

The Carbon Audio's $100 Zooka is a Bluetooth speaker available in black, green, gray, blue, pink, purple, red, or teal. My review unit is a color the company calls black, but it's a decidedly non-black dark gray.

Globalgig Hotspot: Taking the pain out of data roaming

Business travel is, under the best of circumstances, a royal pain in the butt, and when you're roaming internationally with a smartphone and need to make some calls and keep up with email, you face a zonking great bill when you get home.

Muted excitement for latest Toshiba Android tablet

Shaw reviews Toshiba's Excite 10 SE tablet and HP's EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook.

Muted excitement for latest Toshiba Android tablet

Shaw reviews Toshiba's Excite 10 SE tablet and HP's EliteBook Folio 9470m Ultrabook.

Marley's Chant speaker sounds portable and inexpensive

House of Marley's $60 Chant Portable Audio System is a Bluetooth speaker that you can carry inside its own custom canvas case. If you prize affordability and portability over audio fidelity, the Chant is a fine option.

Don't de-friend the citizen

Last year, when an earthquake hit Melbourne, Twitter was the first on the scene. Within minutes, the subject became the top Twitter-trending topic worldwide and even caused the Geoscience Australia website to crash as people went online to see what had happened.

Hot hotspot gateways

Offering Wi-Fi can be a good way to increase return customers and boost revenue in retail stores, hotels, cafes, etc. And it provides convenience for contractors and associates working in corporate offices and conference rooms. Though visitors might have 4G mobile devices or laptops, Wi-Fi can provide a faster, higher quality connection.

Supertooth HD Voice is a breeze to use in the car

These days, you'll find many Bluetooth speakerphone makers extolling the hands-free virtues of their in-car devices. Certainly, the $89 SuperTooth HD Voice allowed me to navigate calls using my voice, as opposed to constantly fumbling for controls by feel alone or----egads----taking my eyes off the road to pinpoint a button's precise location.

4 Bluetooth speakers that fit in your bag

A great pair of headphones is all you need to enjoy music from your portable device, but for those moments when you want to share your tunes with friends, a speaker is a better option. And a compact model that connects using Bluetooth lets you enjoy that experience anywhere your legs will carry you, without the hassle of wires. Whether you're looking for an eye-catching design, innovative features or just great sound quality, we've got options for you as we take a look at four popular models.