We live in a very different world than our parents and grandparents did. We live in a world where the possibility of a person from California is able to see and communicate with a person in Beirut within a matter of seconds, sometimes even microseconds. The sobering news, however, is while we live in a connected world, that connectivity requires a ton of data to make it possible.
Productivity in the work place is about to reach a whole new level when ICS rolls around. ”Issue 3902″ has recently been closed over at Google Code and according to some of the comments from a Google employee it looks like support for Cisco’s AnyConnect VPN client will be added in the new OS version. This will be a welcomed addition to IT departments and users alike. Support for AnyConnect supposedly can be found on several of the major platforms and until now lacked a healthy presence on Android devices. Hopefully all of that is about to change. As further versions continue to come about, it’s obvious that Enterprise users are going to benefit from new features greatly, making them more and more productive in the work place and on the go. Any thoughts?
[via Google Code]
Net neutrality has been an ongoing hot debate in the mobile industry. One such case that has added fuel to the topic involves a case filed way back in January 2010 by T-Mobile who claims that their network was overloaded by an Android IM app. The unknown app essentially brought their network to a crawl after it started gaining popularity with users.
T-Mobile does not specify which Android app, vendor, or developer was involved in the network issues, but it has sparked arguments on how carriers will handle the ever-increasing network traffic, and how they should handle the bandwidth. Should it be monitored, throttled with different data packages available or channeled depending on the type of app and how it connects to the networks?
Cisco is best known for their high end network devices used in the backbones of large and small businesses, so it’s no surprise that their upcoming Android-based tablet called the Cius will be targeted towards business and not the consumer. In a recent Q&A with Cisco, they stated its Android tablet will have limited availability in Q4 of 2010 and should be under the $1,000 price point.
It also appears to be highly integrated with Cisco’s other remote communication solutions such as TelePresense, Cisco Webex, and Cisco Unified Presence. Interested to know if the Cisco Cius is suited for your work environment? Read on for the full question and answer. » Read the rest
Many of you might be wondering why Android tablets haven’t been flooding the market like some had predicted. The reason for this particular case of cold feet is Android’s inability to scale well on screens bigger than 5 inches. Android 2.2 (Froyo) currently supports screen resolutions of up to 854×480 pixels, but this is expected to increase in future updates. Many are speculating that Android 3.0, codename Gingerbread, will support screen resolutions upwards of 1280×760, although there is nothing official on record thus far.
Peter Borup Jakobsen, director of collaboration architecture marketing at Cisco Systems Asia-Pacific, feels that Google could benefit from a partnership with the Open Handset Alliance, a conglomerate of 76 technology and mobile companies who seek to advance mobile innovation. Google can also optimize the software internally, which would prevent companies like Cisco from having to engineer their own SDKs (software development kit) for devices like the Cius, an enterprise level Android tablet currently slated for a Fall release.
There have also been fears that Android tablets will be unable to compete with the behemoth that is Apple’s iPad, but not according to Bo H. Choi, vice president and head of mobile communications marketing at LG Electronics Asia. Choi argues that different users have different requirements, and that an Android tablet has the potential to offer a more cost-effective solution, especially for those in education. He also adds that the open source platform will attract many who currently shy away from proprietary devices like the iPad, and encourage more innovation among developers.
Ultimately, we have only begun to see the tip of the iceberg when it comes to Android based tablets. With the recent announcement of devices from both Motorola and Samsung, more developers are sure to follow suit. Also, as previously mentioned, updates and improvements to the Android OS is sure to spark additional interest among manufacturers. Google will hopefully work with tablet makers to ensure they have the tools they need to take Android tablets to the next level.
[via zdnet]
Over at PC World, there’s a pretty cool slideshow up, showcasing up and coming Android tablets. Included in the slideshow is the upcoming Cisco Cius tablet, LG’s upcoming tablet, the Dell Streak, and more. So, if you want to get your geek on with some previews of what’s going to be big in the Android tablet circles soon, hit up the source link below and check out their gallery of devices for yourself. Thoughts? Let us know in the comments!
[via PC World]
Cisco has been the go-to source for business communications for years. So, what could make the Cisco lineup even better? According to Cisco, the answer is Google’s little green man.
That’s right – Cisco has officially announced a new product, dubbed the Cius. The Cius is an Android based tablet that has the innards from Cisco to make it succeed. Some specs on this device:
To top of this impressive list of features, the Cius also has 720p HD video, which is used in the Cisco TelePresence environment… and is built-in. Check out this video introduction to the Cius: