JAKBEAS

Apple Reinvents Textbooks with iBooks 2 for iPad

Apple® recently announced iBooks® 2 for iPad®, featuring iBooks textbooks, an entirely new kind of textbook that’s dynamic, engaging and truly interactive. iBooks textbooks offer iPad users gorgeous, full screen textbooks with interactive animations, diagrams, photos, videos, unrivaled navigation and much more. iBooks textbooks can be kept up to date don’t weigh down a backpack and never have to be returned. Leading education services companies including Houghton Mifflin Harcourt, McGraw-Hill and Pearson will deliver educational titles on the iBookstore℠ with most priced at $14.99 or less, and with the new iBooks Author, a free authoring tool available today, anyone with a Mac® can create stunning iBooks textbooks.

“Education is deep in Apple’s DNA and iPad may be our most exciting education product yet. With 1.5 million iPads already in use in education institutions, including over 1,000 one-to-one deployments, iPad is rapidly being adopted by schools across the US and around the world,” said Philip Schiller, Apple’s senior vice president of Worldwide Marketing. “Now with iBooks 2 for iPad, students have a more dynamic, engaging and truly interactive way to read and learn, using the device they already love.”

The new iBooks 2 app is available as a free download from the App Store™. With support for great new features including gorgeous, full screen books, interactive 3D objects, diagrams, videos and photos, the iBooks 2 app will let students learn about the solar system or the physics of a skyscraper with amazing new interactive textbooks that come to life with just a tap or swipe of the finger. With its fast, fluid navigation, easy highlighting and note-taking, searching and definitions, plus lesson reviews and study cards, the new iBooks 2 app lets students study and learn in more efficient and effective ways than ever before.

iBooks Author is also available as a free download from the Mac App Store and lets anyone with a Mac create stunning iBooks textbooks, cookbooks, history books, picture books and more, and publish them to Apple’s iBookstore. Authors and publishers of any size can start creating with Apple-designed templates that feature a wide variety of page layouts. iBooks Author lets you add your own text and images by simply dragging and dropping, and with the Multi-Touch™ widgets you can easily add interactive photo galleries, movies, Keynote® presentations and 3D objects.

Apple also announced an all-new iTunes® U app giving educators and students everything they need on their iPad, iPhone® and iPod touch® to teach and take entire courses. With the new iTunes U app, students using iPads have access to the world’s largest catalog of free educational content, along with over 20,000 education apps at their fingertips and hundreds of thousands of books in the iBookstore that can be used in their school curriculum, such as novels for English or Social Studies.* The iTunes U app is available today as a free download from the App Store.

Secret of Bringing Smartphone Technology to Car Dealerships Revealed

Mobile app creator, iapps24, introduces iDealer, a mobile solution for car dealers that fits in the palm of a Smartphone user’s hand. Car dealerships can now enhance all channels of revenue with this clean, easy to use mobile application featuring hyper-local and interactive tools making the car buying experience easy and enjoyable.

iDealer is the complete package equipped is a customizable solution that car dealers can provide for their customers. With tools and searchable information at a car buyer’s fingertips. Car buyers can find their dream car easily by searching the dealership’s new and used inventory by make, model or brand on the app’s database. Customers can manage multiple vehicles and keep them up-to-date with all their service records with the ability to schedule appointments for maintenance when needed.

With iDealer, the customer and dealership are closer than ever before. Data link dialing and email connections make communication effortless when it comes to exceeding customer s’ needs. Contact doesn’t end with the sale of a car either, instead car businesses can personally send special offers and promotions to customers with push notifications bypassing spam boxes and increasing sales in every department.

Features available for customers include Social Network Integration allowing customers to share their experience with others thus enhancing referrals back to the car business; and a toolkit that holds a link to vehicle manuals, a standard loan calculator, a flash light, and a parking assistant.

New Tool Allows People of All Countries To Be Part of Global News

GlobalNewsmen, Inc. a news content aggregation and delivery platform, announced the release of its updated iPhone and Android applications as well as a web platform that allows users to generate news reports, including video’s, photos, voice or written commentaries, and location information in real time as events unfold. Using their smart phones, users can now choose from thousands of established news outlets and submit their news reports to local news, news providers in many countries, as well as to news channels and newspapers around the world in their own language.

GlobalNewsmen applications allow users to attach two videos, three photos, a voice commentary or interview, headline, location and text description to each report. Users can select to submit their reports with compensation or for free. In case no mobile network is available at the time a report is being made, users can store all data on their device and submit to the news when network connection is available. This allows users to record and save newsworthy content whether or not mobile network connection is available.

According to GlobalNewsmen co-founder and CEO Tigran Sahakyan, GlobalNewsmen will increase the flow of real time and relevant news materials to news outlets and will engage not only freelance journalists, but also the general public in the process of making the world news. “We have not just developed a platform for people to share news – we have created a tool which allows people of all countries to be part of the Global News. It is a mobile news reporting equipment for everyone to carry at all times. As to the news outlets, GlobalNewsmen gives the ability to report fresh and authentic news as they happen,” he said.

Alex Dvorkin, co-founder and CMO of GlobalNewsmen, Inc. added: “For some, Globalnewsmen is a great way to monetize on the news material they gather and for others, like human rights organizations, our platform is the best way to get their voice heard. Be it a professional reporter, student journalist, photographer, blogger, or maybe an eyewitness to an accident, fire, crime in progress or natural disaster, GlobalNewsmen is the only tool one needs to be the first in reporting on the news as it happens.”

New Apps for Keyboards Make Playing Easier

Yamaha debuts new apps for iPad and iPhone that help keyboard players get the most out of their instruments: NoteStar, a digital sheet music application for iPad; Song Chords, an application for iPhone that provides interactive songs with built-in chord charts, Page Turner; an application for iPad with wireless page-turning ability for the Yamaha EZ-220 keyboard and Scale Tuner, an application for iPad and iPhone that allows users to change the tuning of a compatible Yamaha keyboard.

Experience these new Yamaha Apps in action at the 2012 NAMM Show, January 19-22, 2012, on the Yamaha Keyboard App Stage in the Anaheim Marriott Marquis Ballroom.

“Yamaha is committed to enhancing our users’ experience through a variety of means,” says Dane Madsen, Yamaha Digital Piano Marketing Manager. “This range of new apps will help to make practice and performance easier, inspiring players to take their game to the next level.”

NoteStar is Yamaha’s app for iPad designed to provide keyboard players with the experience of playing with their favorite songs with a real band. The app provides smooth flowing, easy-to-read sheet music accompanied by real backing bands and vocals. NoteStar is a free download from the App Store and each song sells for $3.99 USD. It is available immediately in 28 countries including the United States, Canada, and the United Kingdom.

Yamaha’s Song Chords for iPhone provides interactive songs with built-in chord charts, a chord leadsheet/dictionary and a music store. Players can use the songs to practice by themselves, fill in for a missing band member at a rehearsal or augment a live performance. Users that are unsure how to play a certain chord can use the built-in chord dictionary for guitar and keyboards. Song Chords will be available in February 2012.

Page Turner is a digital sheet music application for iPad with wireless page turning capability for the Yamaha EZ-220 keyboard. When coupled with the EZ-220’s Guide feature, users can practice at their own pace and the pages will always turn at the right time. The wireless capability requires no extra setup and no special accessories. Just download the Page Turner app, launch it and it works! Page Turner for EZ-220 also features an audio recorder so players can record their playing and singing. Page Turner for EZ-220 is free from the App Store, and will be available in May 2012.

Scale Tuner allows players to change the tuning of a compatible Yamaha keyboard or digital piano to a variety of preset scales like Arabic or pure temperament, on their iPhone or iPad. They can also create and store their own scales. The internal piano Voice lets users confirm the scale settings without a connected MIDI keyboard. Scale Tuner is compatible with: CVP-501/503/505/509, CGP-1000, PSR-S650/S710/S910 and Tyros4. Scale Tuner is available now for free in the App Store.

Secrets of SQL Server’ Idera Webcast Configure Better SQL Server

dera, a leading provider of solutions for Microsoft SQL Server administration, today announced a new webcast in the “Secrets of SQL Server” series titled “Putting a Better SQL Server in Production.” The webcast will air January 18, 2012 at 2 p.m. CT and will feature Robert L Davis, speaker, author, member of Idera ACE program and a senior database administrator and technical lead at Microsoft.

“Some issues in SQL Server are simply caused by configuration errors, which sounds easy to fix, but determining what to change and what the correct setting should be can be tricky,” said David Fargo, Director of Community Development at Idera. “As a member of the Microsoft team, Robert offers inside information on SQL Server default settings and what a DBA should do to prepare the server for production.”

To learn more about the “Secrets of SQL Server” webcast series and to register visit http://www.idera.com/Education/SQL-Server-Webcasts/

Robert L Davis is the program manager for the SQL Server Master Certification program. He has over 11 year’s experience with SQL Server, including expertise in high availability, disaster recovery, performance tuning and data architecture. He is a speaker and trainer as well as a writer for SQL Server Pro magazine and co-authored “Pro SQL Server 2008 Mirroring” (Apress).

Idera provides tools for Microsoft SQL Server, SharePoint and PowerShell management and administration. Our products provide solutions for performance monitoring, backup and recovery, security and auditing and PowerShell scripting. Headquartered in Houston, Texas, Idera is a Microsoft Managed Partner and has over 10,000 customers worldwide. To learn more, please contact Idera at +1-713.523.4433 or visit http://www.idera.com.

Idera is a division of BBS Technologies, Inc. Idera is a trademark or registered trademark of BBS Technologies, Inc. or its subsidiaries in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other company and product names may be trademarks or registered trademarks of their respective companies.

Build Your Own Audio Studio on Mac OS

Onde Audio Recorder is brand new software that allows Mac users to record soundtracks from just about anywhere. The Onde Audio Recorder has a variety of unique features. It can record music, voice sound, or any audio from many different types of audio devices Like Mono Mix, CD Line-in, Stereo Mix and Microphone. All the user needs is a microphone with this application and they can be recording anything in no time.

It works with web pages and applications and can be used to record from a safari browser. The OndeAudio Recorder is very easy to use. Just one click of the mouse can turn it on or off, which allows the user to record a whole sound track or just a snippet. There are several popular places that people can use this software for including a You tube recording, record iTunes or even record Skype. Now a user never has to miss their favorite recording. They just click their mouse and they can record whatever they like.

Another useful feature is the batch feature. This will allow a user to record from up to 4 web pages at a time. The device also allows the user to schedule recordings. The audio recording will commence automatically and stop according to the prescheduled timings. It includes adjustable profile settings, so that the user can get their ideal audio effect. Recordings can be saved to the user’s hard drive in many different formats including MP3 and WAV. The recording will have all the traits of the original with no loss of quality. It can be stored on an MP3 player so that it can be played back at any time. Hotkey settings are also available to allow the user the convenience of control for pause, record, or stop when they are working in other programs.

Onde Audio Recorder is the most up to date audio software of its kind and is a breakthrough in the world of audio and recording equipment. The user can record their favorite music or even make a soundtrack for a video. Recording is often one of the hard things to do for a video but Onde Audio Recorder makes it easy and the user will always have a professional sounding recording.

Ondesoft is a company that specializes in Mac apps for or Mac users. They have been in the software business since 2004. Creating software is their business and their passion. Mac computers are unique and not every application will work with them but Ondesoft has made it their business to create software exclusively for the Mac computer.

Their future plans are to expand their products and offer the best audio recording and video recording software in the future to Mac users. Also, they are planning to develop a more creative software line Onde Rulers.

VoIP Service Surges in Popularity Among Business Customers

More and more business managers are saying goodbye to traditional landline phones and hello to Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) telecommunications systems these days.

Business leaders have realized VoIPservice’s many benefits, such as much more affordable domestic and international calling and the elimination of the need for in-house PBX hardware and related maintenance required for traditional telephony systems. In fact, 75% of all international calls are being made over the Internet

The massive transition to this cost-effective technology is more than a trend; it’s a glimpse into the future of business telephony. And, it’s a money-making opportunity for VoIP service providers … if they give customers what they want.

WhichVoIP, a company with expertise in VoIP and telecommunications services, recently surveyed current business VoIP customers about their needs and expectations from service providers.

When asked, “What items are the most important to your VoIP business service purchase decision,” the responses were as follows:

•     Nearly 80% of those surveyed said the price of the service was an important consideration in their decisions to select VoIP instead of a traditional telephony system;
•     Slightly more than 60% of those surveyed said the value-added features and functionality — offered with VoIP service at no extra charge — appealed to them when considering VoIP in their business phone service purchasing decision;
•     Nearly 60% said “knowledge of sales staff”;
•     Slightly more than 30% said “friendliness of the salesperson.”

“This is real data from customers telling us what they would like from providers — not only in terms of service, but also in terms of the sales process,” Mike Bragg, CFO of WhichVoIP, said. “Business VoIP service providers who seek business customers can benefit greatly from the information our survey revealed.”

For potential customers who are still skeptical about VoIP and its many useful features, service providers and their sales team should have other selling points ready to share in efforts to close the deal. Here is a couple:

•     Hosted VoIP phone systems involve a substantial cost savings by enabling a company’s workers to make and receive calls via the Internet using a headset and microphone.
•     The VoIP system also enables calls to be directed to mobile devices, so company employees can conduct business while travelling or otherwise away from the office location.

New List of Arcade Games by eArcades.com Revealed

This week, the gaming has added 200 more new games which include the highly rated Hill Truck Trials, Skull Escape, and the classic Tic Tac Toe. The new updates also feature several Christmas games which can surely take players back to the Holiday Season.

With membership that has already exceeded 2,000 the pressure is on eArcades.com to sustain the hype. The site’s recent updates are just few of what gamers can look forward to this month, according to website owner Internet Marketing Services (IMS). The company also announced that all of the new games they feature are carefully selected and handpicked by their team of developers so only the high quality items will be on the list.

The arcade games featured in at eArcades.com are readily playable from any flash-supported web browser. Visitors simply have to click on the game they want to play, watch a 15-second commercial while their game loads, and they are ready to enjoy the game as long as they want. There is also no limit to the number of games users want to play, as long as they have enough time to do so. IMS clarified that absolutely no fee will be collected for playing at the site. Membership is free as well.

Players who want to interact with other arcade games enthusiasts have the option to sign up with the site. Membership will allow them to keep up with the series of updates eArcades will dish out and meet new friends at the same time.

eArcades.com was launched on December 25th the previous to a worldwide audience with an offering of 5,000 unique games on 15 different categories. The gaming site is a project of Internet Marketing Services, a company that has been successfully engaged in the online business since 2007. Michael Bashi, company CEO, says the team is excited with the prospect of entering the gaming industry amidst the fierce level of competition. The gaming website plans to come up with more updates in the coming days in order to sustain the successful launch it had last Christmas Day

Free websites are being developed and provided to teachers free of charge. These are not just any free websites. They are actual custom websites. “There are many other do-it-yourself website companies out there that are providing websites to teachers in order to help them have a web presence, but few of them come close to conveying the professionalism that FreeCustomWebsite does.” says Greg Trimble, FreeCustomWebsite CEO.

The ways in which teachers can utilize a custom website in their profession are numerous. A teacher can use a website to post important information about his or her class. The teacher can post important scheduled dates, homework due dates, test taking days, makeup test days, a syllabus, study guides, and other information that will help the students become more successful. As time goes on more students will utilize computers as well as the Internet in order to complete and deliver their work. Teachers can have a secure upload portal where students can upload their homework or even take tests. Teachers that wish to get even more advanced with their website may have a special student portal set up in which a student can login and see information that is directed specifically at that student.

Teachers can now use their websites to post grades immediately so that students do not need to wait until the next class period to see their grades. Trimble continues, “the possibilities are almost endless for teachers that utilize a free custom website. Imagine if the teacher is sick and cannot get a sub, or needs to postpone a class or a project. Students can receive real-time alerts just by the teacher posting a comment or update on their website which can in turn flow down to all of their social networks.” In theory a teacher could put down pen and paper for good. They can have term papers and homework typed up and submitted online and organized through the teacher portal. Then the teacher can grade and mark up the homework or assignments on an iPad or tablet straight from the Internet. The teacher can then subsequently grade the paper, record the grade, and submit the paper back to the student without wasting a single piece of paper or pen. Free teacher websites help teachers be more efficient and stay in better communication with their students. This goes for all grades K-12, and into higher education.

2012 CES New Product Revealed: M3 Pro Series Solid State Drive

New M3 Pro SSD Features Faster Speed, 24nm Toggle Flash, Firmware Updates, and 7mm Form Factor to Fit Ultra-Slim Notebooks

Plextor (www.goplextor.com), leading developer and manufacturer of high-performance digital media and storage equipment, announces the release of its latest Solid State Drive, M3 Pro, at the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) in Las Vegas today.

The new M3 Pro Series offers improvements to the current M3S, including a significant boost in sequential and random read/write speeds. Other changes include high-grade 24nm Toggle Flash, firmware updates, and a new 7mm height form factor to fit ultra-slim notebooks.

The M3 Pro is a 2.5” form factor drive with a height of only 7mm, making it compatible with standard notebooks and PCs, as well as ultra-slim notebooks.  The following storage capacities will be available in early 2012: 128GB, 256GB, and 512GB. The M3 Pro will deliver sequential read/write speeds of up to 540/450 MB/s and random read/write speeds of up to 75,000/69,000 IOPS.  Similar to the M3, the M3 Pro uses the latest SATA 6Gb/s (SATA III) interface, a server-grade controller from Marvell, and flash memory from Toshiba.

The M3 Pro also features exclusive firmware with True Speed technology, which includes Plextor’s proprietary Bad Block Management, Global Wear Leveling, and Instant Restore Technologies. True Speed prevents drastic drops in read/write speed common to other SSDs and, in fact, maintains the M3 Pro’s high performance at like-new levels throughout the life of the drive.

Plextor exceeds industry requirements with Enterprise Benchmark testing. Before leaving the factory, each Plextor SSD is put through a rigorous 20-hour high temperature burn-in test and strenuous simulations of real-world working environments. As a result Plextor SSDs have a 0.59% average annual failure rate, one of the lowest in the industry. Plextor’s no-compromise customer policy includes a five-year ironclad warranty and the highest standards of customer support.

“We are excited to announce the M3 Pro at CES this year. It will be Plextor’s fastest and most efficient SSD to date, and with the 7mm height, we now offer a solution for ultra-slim notebook users,” said Kathy Huynh, Product Marketing Manager.

The M3 Pro includes a disk cloning and backup utility for fuss-free transfer of data from a traditional HDD to an SSD. It also comes with a 3.5” mounting bracket and screws for desktop installation making the new drive ideal for both desktop and laptop installations.

The M3 will continue to be available to businesses, power users, serious gamers, system integrators, and anyone who demands high efficiency and fault tolerant performance. For those seeking even greater performance, the M3 Pro will be available in February 2012.