Traditional corporate data centers are moving out of expensive data storage and computing and moving into much cheaper and efficient subscription based clouds. Companies that are benefitting from the new trend includes cloud based storage behemoth Google and Amazon.com, chip makers for cloud based storage Advanced Micro Devices and Applied Micro Circuit, networkers Ciena that provide fast connecting fiber-optic equipment and Splunk, and service providers such as Verizon Communications. Biggest losers will be those enterprise software companies such as SAP, Microsoft and Oracle.

Verizon Communications and Amazon Web Service are making new programming tools that make it easier to transition software from old school company data centers onto clouds. Companies such as Advance Micro Devices are also helping Verizon Cloud by providing them with processors. Verizon Cloud expected to be in operation by 2014. Network gear maker and the leader, Cisco will face problems in coming years because its gear doesn’t fit new cloud equipment. That is why Verizon Cloud using switches from the newcomer Arista Networks that run Linux. Data storage specialists such as EMC and NetApp will not be affected by cloud revelations. However, they are under constant threat from new comers such as Violin Memory and Micron Technology.

By Phin Upham

A recent article in AEON Magazine posed an intriguing question: are there limits to the types of decisions that computer-driven algorithms can make? The article presented several hypothetical situations which showed that there are instances where the human thought process is needed even if it is not as logically sound as a computer algorithm.

One example given was a choice that a driver might need to make if a school bus was careening out of control at them on a small bridge. Would they choose to stay on the road and force the school bus over the edge or sacrifice their safety by driving off the road? It’s a choice that comes down to a person’s morals and personal beliefs and one that would be impossible to ask an algorithm to predict if a car was driven by a computer.

Find out more at: http://www.aeonmagazine.com/world-views/steven-poole-can-algorithms-ever-take-over-from-humans/

About the Author: Phin Upham is an investor at a family office/ hedgefund, where he focuses on special situation illiquid investing. Before this position, Phin Upham was working at Morgan Stanley in the Media & Technology group. You may contact Phin on his Phin Upham website or Twitter page.

By Ted Dhanik

Display marketing has a certain ring to it. After all, it is a visual marketing tool used on various webpages. But what are the benefits to it? Is it worth the extra cost?

Yes, and current users of display marketing say so as well. Display marketing is a great way to focus a business’ marketing strategy to achieve a specific goal and to increase traffic to a website immediately.

It does this by putting ads on sites that are specific to the clientele that browse that site. A lot of research goes into the consumers in order to construct ads that will be the most likely to guide them to a company’s webpage. Many aspects are taken into consideration and compared, such as the frequency of traffic, what times of day and when during the week these clients are viewing the pages, how often they refresh or select an ad- many of these things. All of these are combined to produce a marketing product that creates an ad geared specifically at the users and consumers.

And display ads are not just utilized on webpages. Because people have so many interfaces that they use, such as a mobile device on their way to work, a computer at work, a tablet at home, and then the television, different ads are required to fit each device. So an ad shown on a phone would not be the same one shown on a webpage- and for good reason.

It is important when selecting a display marketing company to dmake sure that they offer these specified and detailed arrangements. Display marketing will work if it is researched and prepared correctly. And simply putting ads on high traffic websites will not guarantee success- the level of detail described above is what increases a company’s ROI and web traffic, not flat and unprepared visibility.

Guest post provided by Ted Dhanik, CEO of engage:BDR. Ted Dhanik and his company offer high-performance marketing solutions in display advertising. Ted Dhanik offers his insights on display advertising in his professional blogs.

The world’s most valuable technology company, Apple announced two new smartphones in early September 2013. These new products not only highlight its combative nature with low cost phone manufacturers such as Samsung and Huawei but also capabilities of its new iOS 7 operating system. The iOS originally debuted in 2007 with its iPhone.

The iOS 7 is the seventh version of Apple’s mobile operating system and Apple is incrementally improving its iOS 7 operating system since it was introduced on June 10, 2013. Code named Innsbruck, iOS 7 is the next generation software for iPhone, iPad, iPad Touch and iPod. It reflects a big deviation from its predecessors and focuses on clarity by removing clutter, improve user interface leaving only the most essential. New features of iOS 7 include control center, notification center, multitasking (opens multi apps simultaneously), camera, photos, AirDrop (Wi-Fi sharing feature for iPhone), Safari, Siri (comes with more content from Wikipedia and Bing), iTunes Radio, and iOS in the car. New capabilities to surf the App Store with age based search may become a hit feature with parents. Most of all iOS 7 is free and you can update your mobile gadgets by yourself.

Google wallet and PayPal are picking up more payment processing for online transactions. In order to cut down on bank charges and for convenience, more and more are using these payment systems. So, what will happen to age old ATMs at your bank?

Tendency is towards more and more banks to automate customer transactions as much as possible. This will help to cut down on staff and waiting time on lines, and create more efficiency. But the problem is ATMs are so old and doesn’t use technological advancements such as capabilities of smartphones and tablets.

Banks and ATM developers are trying out cutting edge ATMs lately. One of the main manufacturers of ATMs, NCR, indicates 90 percent of banking functions can be done on ATMs, Bloomberg Businessweek reports. The Bank of America is testing an ATM that find a teller at a remote location via video to complete a transaction with a customer at an ATM who left the debit card at home and allows the person to withdraw cash by showing the driver’s license. With younger generation hooked on gadgets, the old ATM badly needs a new update to keep those who are banking with them and to attract more 35 and younger crowed.

The most popular alternative vehicle tracking system lo jack, doesn’t use true gps signals. Moreover, wireless connectivity is not offered by lojack. The practical result is that only specially equipped police vehicles can use lojack to find a missing vehicle.  Owners, for instance, certainly do not have the capability to use lojack to track a vehicle themselves.  Also, the number of police vehile outfitted with the lowjack technology is typically only a small fraction of the fleet. Since the range of lowjack is only about 2-3 miles, missing are stolen vehicles are undetectable unless a lojack equipped police cruiser happens to be in the vicinity.

Sine  the early nineties, the North American Trucking Industry has used promiles software for routing and mapping  years as well as for IFTA fuel tax. The promiles software is adaptable for individual drivers as well as for fleets and saves time and effort with rout planning and tax reporting and reduces fues costs, allowing large or small trucking operations to be for efficient, and thus more profitable.

The advantages of a gps tracking device are reduced costs of fuel and maintenance, quicker response times and easier management of vehicles. GPS tracking offers numerous advantages over lojack. But recovering missing or stolen vehicles is only one of the problems encountered in fleet management for which gps tracking is the solution. Redirecting vehicles to shorten travel time or respond quickly to changing demands from customers are others. Overall, gps tracking is an essential tool in fleet management.

Ads touting about nationwide mobile phone coverage and speed are dominating the print media, the Internet and the airways. The nation’s No. 1 carrier Verizon Wireless with more than 93 million subscribers and the No. 2 carrier AT&T with 71 million subscribers are no exceptions. They both have spent billions of dollars for 4G LTE, the most current system which was introduced in 2010 by both carriers. The 4G LTE is capable of delivering high-definition video in 30 seconds without dropping frames.

When it comes to speed delivering applications, Web pages, and other data, AT&T edge Verizon Wireless according to PC Magazine and RootMetrics as reported by Bloomberg Businessweek. The AT&T average wireless download speed is over 18 mbps compared to just over 15 mbps for Verizon Wireless. Sprint and T-Mobile lineup behind the two giants in distant third place in terms of delivery speed. Congestion appears to be the key element that slows delivery for Verizon Wireless which cuts down the speed by about 25 percent. In order to win the speed war, Verizon Wireless is now looking in to using unused telecommunication spectrum in a new technology known as advanced wireless services (AWS).

For the first time, T-Mobile will offer Apple’s new iPhone 5 on April 12, 2013 at all its 3,000 plus stores in the U.S. T-Mobile expects to sell 3.4 million iPhones in 2013. T-Mobile will allow customers to trade in their old iPhone 4 and 4S, and trade in will get a new iPhone 5 without customary $99.99 charge that most others charge. Instead customers will get $120 credit towards future phone bills. T-Mobile will not subsidize the Apple iPhone 5, but will charge the cost in easy $50 a month installment. This is good news for T-Mobile, its customers and Apple.

T-Mobile is the U.S. unit of Deutsche Telecom AG and is the fourth largest carrier in the U.S. T-Mobile is trying to get market share in the U.S. for some time. Its merger with Metro PCS Communications Inc. is expected to be completed soon and it will create a combined total of 42 million customers and provide an opportunity to expand its LTE coverage which they were lagging. T-Mobile calls itself as “the uncarrier” referring to the minimum contracts required by three major carriers. Offering Apple iPhone will allow T-Mobile to stop the exodus of subscribers.

The Canadian BlackBerry maker Research in Motion (RIMM) recently announced much anticipated two new products.  A full touchscreen BlackBerry Z10 will hit the market in March 2013 and the BlackBerry Q10, a device equipped with a keyboard that will come in at the end of January.  The RIMM will also officially change its name to BlackBerry.  BlackBerry has been losing its market share to Apple’s iPhone 5 and Google’s Android operating system based Samsung’s Galaxy S lately.  BlackBerry Z10 may be its hope to stay alive.

BlackBerry Z10 has many innovations still be familiar to those who are using BlackBerry.  It introduces what it calls a Hub, a scrolling drop down menu of incoming and outgoing communications, texting, e-mail, Facebook, Twitter, phone calls all in one place.  It can show you your entire history of those or if you choose history of one person.  If you prefer, it will bring up an on screen key board that anticipate your next word cutting down on your typing.  The keyboard appears to be bit larger than the one in Apple iPhone 5.  It is priced at $199 with two-year contract on Verizon and BlackBerry will announce other carriers soon.

The Waterloo, Canada based BlackBerry maker, Research In Motion (RIM) recently announced that it will be unveiling the new BlackBerry 10 on January 30, 2013 in New York City.  The new phone will carry an updated operating system and one or two new phones will also be introduced.  This is welcome news for the rapidly deteriorating smartphone company.  RIM’s market share for smartphones worldwide dropped from 9.5 percent in 2011 to about 4.3 percent lately.

One bright spot for the company is overseas sales.  Take Indonesia for an example.  On average, many Indonesians make around $160 a month.  A BlackBerry Torch cost around $440 and comes with free BlackBerry Messenger service and a low-cost Internet service for $4.69 a month.  There are other alternatives to BlackBerry available in the market.  Many around the world are dropping BlackBerry and opting for Google’s Android-powered or Apple’s iOS based iPhone.  But Indonesia remains a hot market for the BlackBerry.  In Indonesia it accounts for 37 percent of the market share down from 43 percent.  Android based smartphones leads the Indonesian market and Apple is in the third place behind BlackBerry.  Indonesia has the world’s third largest population at 242 million behind China and India.