Science tells us we can't be in two places at once.
Remote access software says otherwise.
Business travel can be a hassle, and not just because your carry-on bag won't fit in the overhead compartment. All too often, you find yourself needing access to a file you left behind or a program you don't have on your tablet or laptop.
If only scientists could figure out a way to beam you from one place to another, Star Trek transporter-style. Until that day, there's a solution that's nearly as good (and less likely to cause some crazy parallel universe accident only Scotty could fix). It's called remote access software, and it lets you connect to and control another PC just as though you were sitting right in front of it.
That's a plus for road warriors, who can now tap into the office desktop to retrieve a critical file, run a program that has no tablet equivalent or even rescue a co-worker who needs some remote tech support.
To tackle these and other productivity challenges, check out LogMeIn Free (https://secure.logmein.com/products/free/). It provides easy access to a remote computer running Windows or Mac OS and it runs on desktops, laptops, tablets and even smartphones. Plus, true to its name, it's free!
Here's how remote access takes the worry and hassle out of your business trips ⇒
-
Windows 8 first-month sales outpacing Windows 7, but who's really buying?
Windows 8 launched one month ago to great fanfare—and racked up some impressive sales numbers, according to Microsoft.
Speaking yesterday at an Arizona technology conference, Microsoft's new Windows chief Tami Reller announced that the company has sold 40 million Windows 8 licenses to date, a number that puts the new operating system ahead of Windows 7 during its first month.
However, as Gizmodo's Brian Barrett points out, the sales figures raise a number of questions, not the least of which is how many people are actually using Windows 8:
-
How to shop for Cyber Monday deals on your work-issued laptop
It's Cyber Monday 2012, meaning it's arguably the best day of the year to score deals on laptops, tablets, and other tech goodies—to say nothing of everyday gifts for your spouse, kids, friends, co-workers, and so on.
Just one problem: Your work-issued PC might be locked out of shopping sites like Amazon, Newegg, and Macy's. IT departments often prohibit users from visiting such non-work-critical destinations, meaning you might miss out on all the Cyber Monday savings.
Fortunately, there's a simple workaround that'll let you shop till you drop, electronically speaking, without breaking any company rules or ticking off the IT manager. The solution: remote access software.
-
Novatel's latest mobile hotspot helps business travelers stay connected
If there's one tool no business traveler should be without, it's a mobile hotspot. It's like the Internet in your pocket, a high-speed but portable modem that can share its connectivity with multiple devices: laptops, tablets, and so on.
These handy gizmos have been around for years, but Novatel's latest is rapidly emerging as the hot hotspot, especially for holiday gift shoppers. Why the fuss? The MiFi2 Liberate is the first hotspot to feature a touchscreen.
That may not sound like such a big deal for a device that typically just sits on a tabletop while you hop online, but it's quite helpful for things like tracking your data consumption and viewing which devices are connected. Older hotspots relied on small LED screens and awkward button-powered menus, or lacked any kind of interactivity at all.
Of course, the advantage of any mobile hotspot is that it can rescue you from slow, unreliable, and/or non-existent Wi-Fi networks. Need to connect in the back of a cab? Fire up your hotspot. Antiquated hotel doesn't offer Wi-Fi? Again: hotspot.
-
Analysts: Tablets most popular on Black Friday, Cyber Monday
Although some (arguably crazy) folks are already lining up at Best Buys around the country, most analysts agree that online sales will well exceed this year's Black Friday storefront frenzy. And while Cyber Monday may end up being the peak of sales for online retailers, some, including Amazon, have already begun offering up freak-out-worthy deals, extending the buzz across an entire week of insane sales.
Among the most popular gifts this year? Tablets. The tablet computer market has exploded alongside a flurry of tablet-optimized apps, the new Windows 8 OS that hybrids the laptop and tablet experience, and the skyrocketing trend of enterprise mobility that demands the constant connectivity and sleek, convenient portability that only tablet devices can provide.
Okay, but which tablet should you ask for this this holiday season? The iPad and its new Mini counterpart may be leading the charge in sales, still consuming the largest portion of the tablet market by brand, but healthy competitors are coming to the stage. Indeed, as travel guru Peter Greenberg points out, different kinds of travelers will benefit from different kinds of tablets.
-
United Airlines software glitch strands travelers again
For the third time this year, a computer glitch wreaked havoc on United Airliness flights, delaying thousands of travelers for hours.
That's bad news for the beleaguered airline, which faced a similar issue as recently as August, but even worse for road warriors racing to important meetings, conferences, and the like.
Of course, anyone who flies regularly is no stranger to delays. Although software glitches are an unusual culprit (except at United, ahem), weather, mechanical problems, airport congestion, and other issues can strike at any time.