This month we talk about Microsoft’s new promotion, The iPad 3 Gets released and we take a look at telstra’s 4G network

This month we are looking at a printing technology you may already have, but don’t realise !

Hello and Welcome to the new-year and another exciting time for EtherTech and our customers.

We felt that given most of you have struggled to shake off those hang-overs, we wouldn’t delve in to anything too technical this month but look in to the latest gadgets that will be hitting the streets later this year.

One of the biggest events on the nerd calendar is the Consumer Electronics Show (CES) held in sunny Las Vegas every January.  This event sets the benchmark for industry innovations that are expected to take place for the coming year.

Opening on Tuesday, there are going to be some big announcements from Intel Microsoft, Nokia, HP and Apple.

Top of the rumours list is the entry of HP in to the UltraBook category of notebooks.  The UltraBook is a specification for style, size, and weight whilst retaining high performance.  Think of the UltraBook as a competitor to Apple’s Mac Book Air.  With ASUS and Toshiba already delivering some excellent UltraBooks, expect HP to release their new Envy Spectre product range to be as sexy and sleek as its main rivals.  Due out in Q2 this year.

Intel are also rumoured to be announcing a new Mobile Phone with HTC this month, but the next big one on the agenda for CES is Nokia.  It is expected that Nokia will be introducing its new tablet offering, based on Windows Mobile 8, slated for the first half of this year.

With Windows 8 (the next operating system from Microsoft) looming for public beta, I’m sure we will be getting a bit more up close and personal with changes to the Windows Operating System next month.

If you are planning PC upgrades this year, then consider that Windows 8 will be strongly focused on touch and gestures, so make sure you hold off on your monitor purchases for now.

Speaking of touch, the EXOPC will be launched which is a table top device that will allow retailers to better interact with their customers.  Based on the table top design of the original Microsoft Surface technology, we can expect to see some really exciting products based on table and surface technology in 2012.

Also in the rumour mill is the much anticipated iTV and iPad 3 from Apple.  Whilst we might see a refresh of the iPad, expect the iTV to be announced in October or January 2013.

Some of the interesting announcements will come from Apple’s arch nemesis, Samsung.  With over 100,000 applications on their Smart TV platform and the ability to seamlessly integrate your TV to your tablet, Android or iPhone, we are keeping our eyes on the developments here for your next TV purchase.

VMware will also be demonstrating VMware fusion, which allows you to access any application from anywhere on any device and the ability to support mobile phone virtualisation.  This is going to be huge for all of you who are looking at mobility improvements this year.

To check out the latest announcements, make sure you head to www.ces.com for more information and if any of these new gadgets and products appeal to you or your business then give us a call 1300-384-378 and we’ll be more than happy to help.

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Dear Valued Customer,

Over the Christmas and New Year period, EtherTech Computer Services will be trading as normal. Please note that we will be closed on public holiday days.

Due to some team members having a well-earned break over this period, please be aware that we will be running skeleton staff during this time, but everyone will be back on deck by the 9^th January.

Never fear however they can ALL be contacted during this period if required. If you do have any IT requirements during the holiday season, please continue to contact us on 1300-ETHERTECH.

Monday, 26th December:     CLOSED
Tuesday, 27th December:     CLOSED
Monday, 2nd January:           CLOSED

Merry Christmas from EtherTech !

Kind Regards
Team EtherTech !

Sign up to EtherTech’s Monthly Newsletter, where we focus on New technologies that could not only benefit you, but also tips and tricks plus much more !

To Subscribe simply click the following link :http://www.ethertech.com.au/subscribe.php

Software piracy is the unauthorized copying or distribution of copyrighted software. This can be done by copying, downloading, sharing, selling, or installing multiple copies onto personal or work computers. What a lot of people don’t realize or don’t think about is that when you purchase software, you are actually purchasing a license to use it, not the actual software. That license is what tells you how many times you can install the software, so it’s important to read it. If you make more copies of the software than the license permits, you are pirating.

Dob in a business software pirate and you could score the prize of a holiday for two in the Caribbean – that’s the latest offer from the Business Software Alliance (BSA) as it seeks to enlist a wider range of informants.

The promotion is being run as an interactive quiz on BSA Australia’s Facebook page.

Entrants are asked to answer five questions about software piracy and also have the option to proceed to the BSA Australia Web site to report “cases of business software piracy that they may be aware of” – in most cases presumably a disaffected employee dobbing in the boss.

The winner scores a flight for two to their choice in the Caribbean as well as $2000 spending money. If their dob-in leads to a successful legal case launched by the BSA they’re also eligible for a reward of $5000 +.

Says BSA co-chair Clayton Noble: “This competition represents a shift in strategy for the BSA. Historically we have generally marketed to a core audience of business IT decision makers but as the market has evolved more people are now involved in the IT decision making process.

The BSA is currently running a campaign called the Software Compliance Check, which aims to raise businesses’ awareness of software licensing best practice. As part of the campaign, the BSA is asking businesses to undertake a license check on a variety of software products.

The campaign will focus on various regions throughout Australia, with the first phase already underway, and is promoted through local media and business groups.

Businesses are asked to self-assess their software licensing via a straightforward online questionnaire available at www.bsa-compliance.org/au

The Business Software Alliance has recently fined a Melbourne engineering company $150,000 for allegedly using software without a licence in an out of court settlement.  Something to consider if you or your employer thinks they may not be compliant

In addition to paying the fine, the company is now required to buy the required software licences and implement software asset management (SAM) software to prevent future software infringements.

So now might be the time, especially as the quiet time for most of us approaches, to consider performing a self-audit.  Give us a buzz if you would like assistance or are concerned if you may not be compliant.

On a lighter note, this is the last Boffin for the year and a sign that the silly season is upon us.  With that said, we wish you, your colleagues, family and friends all the best for the festive season and we will see you back in 2012.

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To Subscribe simply click the following link :http://www.ethertech.com.au/subscribe.php

This month we’re going to have a quick look at Network Attached Storage, what it is and why you should seriously consider it for your home and or business use.

This month EtherTech review the ever popular HP Probook 6560b laptop. With a redesigned exterior, this swish new laptop has a heap of corporate features including high-resolution display, 3G, GPS, multiple batteries and docking stations.

In this month’s newsletter, we discuss more about the increasing importance of the web and why having the knowledge to take on this new stream of marketing and advertising can really help you to improve your marketplace. With EtherTech being a complete solutions provider, we can help you with the tools you need, to achieve success.

Enter our partners at the Undercover Strategist. They have become an integral partner for EtherTech and our clients, in a way that has seen dramatic improvements to their results on the web.
THREE HOURS THAT COULD CHANGE YOUR BUSINESS ONLINE.

If you could get a trusted online guru to spend three hours of their time focused solely on your business, for free, how would you invest their time?

Would you get them to start writing a digital strategy?
Would you want to start the process of Google ranking?
Or snoop on your competitors?
Would you use the time to get staff members trained to DIY?

In times of economic pressure, businesses are looking for cost effective ways grow their sales, business or brands. The Internet is an obvious solution.

The Internet is a great leveler; a small business can be bigger than a large corporation on the Internet, providing they have a few smarts up their sleeve. And it’s extremely cost-effective too. Gone are the days where reaching a global audience was the sole domain of massive companies.

At EtherTech, we’ve spent years educating our clients about technology, including the Internet, but explaining how to succeed with online marketing has become easier with sites like the UndercoverStrategist undercoverstrategist.com .

Undercover Strategist is an all-Australian subscription-based website that offers a wealth of knowledge, practical tips and advice about ranking in Google Australia. It will tell you what you need to do to rank in Google Maps too. The site has a range of videos and tutorials, and practical cheat-sheets you can download and keep for your reference.

If you currently pay for Google adwords, it contains advice about how to avoid wasting your advertising budget something we have seen recently with a number of customers.

If you fancy starting a blog, there are different videos and tutorials covering blogging (especially for small business), plus advice about creating content for the Internet. In fact, Undercover Strategist has everything from arguing for funding from your bank manager through to how to snoop on competitors to see what they are doing online.

Monthly membership of the website is $49.95 AUD and, as a special offer to EtherTech clients, every client that joins up as a member of the site during September 2011 will go into the draw to win a free 3hour session with the Undercover Strategist (valued at over $600).

The winner will be drawn on 3 October, so get in quick to avoid disappointment.

So as the marketers say, lets start the conversation today about how an online presence and the help of Undercover Strategist can help. Go and have a look at their site and decide for you self!
Until Next Month …..

Sign up to EtherTech’s Monthly Newsletter, where we focus on New technologies that could not only benefit you, but also tips and tricks plus much more !

To Subscribe simply click the following link :http://www.ethertech.com.au/subscribe.php