Mobile Device Review: EDUP WiFi Disk

Have you ever tried to play a video, music, access a file or view your pictures on your storage device (e.g memory card, hard disk drive, memory stick et cetera) all at the same time. That sounds like too much to ask right?

Well not anymore, introducing a mobile device that makes all these possible and much more. the EDUP WiFi Disk!!!

EDUP WiFi Disk

This device is a multifunctional mobile storage conversion device that  allows you to share files, play videos, music and manage files  across multiple devices seamlessly at the same time via WiFi. This enables you to carry out all your daily tasks without fear of running out of storage on your mobile device.

This device is cross platform and supports Mac and Windows XP/Vista/7/8, Android and iOS platform and comes with an app for easy file management.

Once the WiFi Disk is powered up, you connect a storage device to the USB socket, and the storage becomes accessible via WiFi. Simply search and connect to the EDUP WiFi wireless network on you mobile device or PC.
You can then access your files via WiFi without stress. The WiFi disk can be setup in bridge mode so as not to interrupt your wireless internet connection, letting your surf the net and access your files at the same time. How cool is this.

This cool device is available in Nigeria on Konga

You can watch the DEMO video below 

Android App
iOS App

IT Competence required: Beginner/Intermediate 

Windows 8.1: The Start Button is back

The Start Button is Back!!! 

 One of the major features of the recently released Windows 8.1 is our beloved 'Start' button which has been the hallmark of navigation in all Windows based systems right from Windows 95. I bought a laptop for my dad some months ago, running on the Windows 8.0 and I literally needed a GPS to navigate through the laptop. I'm not an just average PC user, I work on different OSes on a daily basis but the new Windows was not it for me till I did some tweaking to get a third party Start button.

The notable changes are as follows

• The Start Button to classic desktop :):)
• Old apps, like Photos and Music, have been enhanced with new designs and features.
• improved help and tooltips functionality
• A more comprehensive seach
• Multiple application view
• improved help and tool tips functionality

However, the old problems such as limited Win 8 apps, navigation on non-touch PCs still exist. It might not seem like much of a change to a non-Windows 8 user at first glance, but this update is a welcome development.

Verdict: The Windows 8 was designed to work across smartphones, tablets and PCs hence, its more of a touch based OS. For the best user experience, a touchscreen laptop is recommended ( but they dont come cheap)

Analysis: Why BBM is going on Android and IOS

It might come to many as a surprise why RIM to roll out BBM on Android and iOS a few days ago. It was actually a smart business decision.

RIM has previously restricted the BBM app to only Blackberry devices as a means of making the Blackberry phones more attractive to the prospective consumers, but this is not working as RIM has lost a lot of the market share to Android, iOS and even Windows. BBM is the most valuable product that RIM have as we speak, and it'll be bad for such a good app to go extinct due the struggling Blackberry sales figures.

Competition from other messaging apps (such as Whatsapp) might also be a major reason behind this move. From humble beginning in 2009, Whatsapp was handling ten billion messages per day as of August 2012, growing from two billion in April 2012 and one billion in October 2011. This tremendous growth experienced by Whatsapp was due to the fact that it was cross-platform i.e it works on all major platforms (Android, BB OS, iOS, Symbian S40, S60, Windows). Whatsapp is also seen as a cheaper alternative to text as was observed on the last day of 2012 when they processed 18 billion messages.
Party crashers, Google and Facebook are also working on messaging app due for release anytime soon, so this is the best time for RIM to make the move.

Another reason is the launch of BBM Channel. It's a new platform from RIM to will allow users subscribe to various channels and get updates from the subscribed channel...sounds like another name for twitter if you ask me. However,  cross platform operation is key in order to achieve success and revenue from this new service.

It seems RIM have got it all figured out, what better way to take on your competitor than on a level playing field. I expect the number of active BBM users and messages to increase, which might mark a turnarounf in the fortunes of RIM, however, I am skeptical about the success of the BBM channel. Interesting days ahead

***Sent from my BBM for Android***


__________________________________________________________________________

 

BBM Quick Facts:

• More than 60 million monthly active users
• More than 51 million daily active users who are connecting with friends or colleagues an average of one and a half hours every day.
• BBM users send and receive more than 10 billion messages each day, nearly twice as many messages per user per day as compared to other mobile messaging apps
• Almost half of BBM messages are read within 20 seconds of being received; indicating how truly engaged BBM customers are