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Aug 16
Gartner: end users are willing to pay more for 5G

A recent global Gartner survey (www.gartner.com) revealed that 75% of end-user organizations would be willing to pay more for 5G mobile capabilities. Only 24% of the survey's respondents would be unwilling to pay more for 5G than for 4G. 

"Those in the telecom industry are more likely to be prepared to pay more than those in other industries," said Sylvain Fabre, research director at Gartner. "End-user organizations in the manufacturing, services and government sectors, for example, are less likely to be willing to pay a premium for 5G than telecom companies, which are willing to pay a 5G premium for their internal use.”

In addition to offering better prices for industries in which users are less convinced of the business benefits of 5G, communications service providers (CSPs) must create value propositions that entice customers to start 5G migration projects sooner. 

Although most of the respondents...

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Aug 15
Venmo, payment, credit card habits vary greatly across...

When it comes to consumer credit and payment methods, there are vast differences cross-generationally, as evidenced by First National Bank’s recent consumer survey. Results demonstrated that while a majority of respondents opened their first credit card at the age of 18, when looking at generational payment values and methods, behavior vastly differs depending on age.


“It was interesting to see that that while there have been many advancements in the digital age, consumers still consistently use traditional methods of payment such as credit cards and debit cards. Overall, it was surprising to see that geographic location had little effect on responses, and how drastic of an impact age had. I look forward to seeing how technology will continue to affect future generations and help influence their personal finances,” said Jerry O’Flanagan, executive vice president, Consumer Banking Group. 


Survey findings revealed that older generations on average own more credit...

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Aug 15
Polices may use ‘textalyzer’ to see if drivers are...

A recent study (http://tinyurl.com/yb6tto9j) found that one out of four drivers were on the phone right before an accident. New York officials are even considering using a new device called a “textalyzer” which would allow them to see if a motorist had been using their phone just before a crash. 

“Reaction times for texting drivers are 35% slower than the reaction times of focused drivers,” says Karl Volkman, chief technical officer of SRV Network, Inc., a Microsoft Gold Certified partner that offers a variety of IT services. “Meanwhile, drunk drivers have a 12% slower reaction time. This does not mean that drunk driving is safe—however, it does show how dangerous texting while driving truly is.”

While the textalyzer technology is being considered by Gov. Cuomo, many people fear that this will be an invasion of privacy. To that end, many companies have created hands-free technology that can...

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Aug 14
Wireless VR set to strain data networks

A new report from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) on virtual reality (VR) forecasts that wireless VR headsets (smartphone-based and standalone) data consumption will grow by over 650% over the next four years, from nearly 2,800PB (Petabytes) in 2017 to over 21,000PB in 2021.

The new research found that data consumption will reach over 28,000PB when combined with traffic generated by VR headsets tethered to PCs and consoles, placing significant additional strain on both wired and wireless networks. VR requires fast data speeds to stream content effectively and, by 2021, the data demand of each VR device is expected to exceed that of 4K, according to Juniper. This will be driven by the need for higher image quality and frame rates, a developing problem as VR becomes more mainstream.

In order to make VR more accessible, the Juniper report recommends bringing network operators and...

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Aug 11
Over 20% of U.S. broadband households have a tech...

New research by Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) shows that more than one-fifth of U.S. broadband households have a technical support subscription.

According to the research group, Best Buy is currently the leading provider of technical support subscriptions for many connected devices, including desktops, laptops, and tablets. However, the firm notes that Amazon's recent decision to offer an in-home tech support service is a notable threat to Best Buy's market dominance.

"The market for support subscriptions is fragmented, with no single player having more than one-third of support subscribers for any device," said Patrice Samuels, senior analyst, Parks Associates. "Best Buy has its strongest lead in the support subscription market for flat-panel TVs, with 29% of this market. Among laptop owners with a support subscription, 22% these subscribers chose Best Buy over similar services...

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Aug 10
Tablet market decline slows in the second quarter

The downward spiral of the tablet market continued during the second quarter of 2017 (2Q17), according to preliminary data from the IDC research group (www.idc.com). Despite notable product launches like the new lower priced iPad and products from other top-tier vendors, worldwide shipments for tablets declined 3.4% year over year in 2Q17, reaching 37.9 million.

Apple positioned itself quite well during the quarter by consolidating its lineup and introducing two new iPads. The new iPad's relatively low price point triggered some consumers to upgrade their aging devices and demand for this new tablet finally caused a turnaround for Apple's iPad business. Meanwhile Apple's transition towards detachable tablets continued with the launch of the 10.5-inch iPad Pro and a major update to iOS (expected later this year).

Once touted as the savior of the market, detachable tablets also declined in the second quarter as...

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Aug 09
21% of U.S. households use a wellness, fitness or diet...

Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) has announced new digital health research showing that 21% of U.S. broadband households use a wellness, fitness, or diet app.

The firm's research reveals moderately positive NPS scores for these apps, with 38% of respondents likely to recommend them to a friend or family member, while 23% are hesitant to do so, resulting in an overall NPS of 15.

"NPS scores for wellness apps are below those for other, more mature industries such as tablets or online entertainment services," said Harry Wang, Senior Research Director, Parks Associates. "There are also great variations by app brands, with Fitbit scoring the highest NPS at 32. The wellness app industry has a lot of catchup work to gain consumer trust, and key to their future success is to focus on delivering an excellent user experience through customization and personalization.”

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Aug 08
Asset tracking IoT device market to triple by 2022

In their most recent report, Mobile Experts (www.mobile-experts.net) released exclusive analysis on Asset Tracking IoT Devices. The research group says that, over the past three years, technology changes have started to transform the market.

Unlicensed LPWA, LTE-M, and NB-IoT dramatically improve long-range communications with inexpensive modules that can run for years on a small battery. Other improvements in Bluetooth and UWB technology also improve precision and range for indoor location of devices.

"Basic tracking technologies, like bar codes and RFID, are used heavily in retail and logistics areas today. Around 9.6 billion RFID tags were used in 2016…despite the limitations in range and lack of real-time tracking capability. This marks an important baseline in Asset Tracking because low-cost RFID or bar-code tracking represent indirect competition for investment in enterprise markets….and...

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Aug 08
Gartner: semiconductor capital spending to grow 10.2%...

Worldwide semiconductor capital spending is projected to increase 10.2% in 2017, to $77.7 billion, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.gartner.com). This growth rate is up from the previous quarter's forecast of 1.4%, due to continued aggressive investment in memory and leading-edge logic which is driving spending in wafer-level equipment, notes the research group.

"Spending momentum is more concentrated in 2017 mainly due to strong manufacturing demand in memory and leading-edge logic. The NAND flash shortage was more pronounced in the first quarter of 2017 than the previous forecast, leading to over 20 percent growth of etch and chemical vapor deposition (CVD) segments in 2017 with a strong capacity ramp-up for 3D NAND," said Takashi Ogawa, research vice president at Gartner.

According to the research group's latest view, the next cyclical down cycle will emerge in 2018 to 2019 in capital spending, compared...

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Aug 07
Global coprocessor market to grow at CAGR of 6.76% by...

The global coprocessor market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 6.76% during the period 2017-2021, according to new data from Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com).

The research group says that one trend in the market is innovations in discrete GPU. NVIDIA is striving to provide a desktop-like gaming experience in laptops. At the GTC 2016 conference, the company announced the launch of the Quadro M5500 notebook video card for professional game developers. The M5500 is the first Quadro GPU that supports virtual reality (VR), enabling its computing partners to make their professional laptops VR ready.

According to Research and Markets, one driver in the market is growing popularity of smartphones. The smartphone market has been growing rapidly over the years, and ever since the advent of the iPhone. One of the biggest decisions that customers make in their...

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Aug 03
Augmented reality market to reach $61.3 billion by 2023

The augmented reality (AR) market will reach $61.3 billion by 2023, according to new data from Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com).

The AR market was valued at $2.39 billion in 2016 and will grow at a CAGR [compound annual growth rate]of 55.71% during the forecast period, adds the research group. The increasing demand for AR devices and applications in medical, increase in demand for AR in the retail and e-commerce, and rising investment in the augmented reality market are the major drivers for the augmented reality market.

The head-mounted displays will hold a major share of the AR market. Head-mounted displays are the most promising devices to boost the growth of the augmented reality market, according to Research and Markets. With advancements in computing, AR-enabled devices would be used for applications in consumer, commercial, and enterprise. The use of head-...

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Aug 02
The Northern Spy: high and low perceptions of...

By Rick Sutcliffe

High and low perceptions of technology are relative to an individual's “normal.” Just now, the Spy has finished his annual task of pressure washing the house, then putting some water on the squash and cucumber patch.

To someone living in Western society, small engine machines like pressure washers, string trimmers, generators, chain saws, lawn mowers and tractors are low technology--even to a city slicker who may not have heard of, much less used, any of these. Seen in use, all would be obvious and not particularly exciting--except perhaps to three-year-old grandson Gregory who would as, “But how does it work, Grandpa?"

Someone transported from a third world city slum would have less context, and might marvel, but to an Amazon jungle dweller, all would seem indistinguishable from magic--no concept of electricity or tap water, much less of the internal combustion engine, vinyl siding, or lawns. He or she might do well with a...

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Aug 02
Juniper: nearly six in 10 corporations considering...

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that nearly six in 10 (57%) large corporations are either actively considering, or are in the process of, deploying blockchain technology.

Almost 400 company founders, executives, managers and IT responded to the research group’s survey; among companies who have reached the PoC (Proof of Concept) stage, two-thirds (66%) expected blockchain to be integrated into their systems by the end of 2018.

Using data from the survey, Juniper attendant deep dive strategy report identified settlement, land registry and digital fiat currency as ‘“best fit”opportunities for blockchain deployment, but cautioned that for each of these opportunities the scale and variety of barriers were significant. The research claimed that those companies which would benefit most from blockchain include those with:

° A need for transparency and...

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Aug 01
SD-WAN market to reach $8 billion in 2021

Software-defined wide area network (SD-WAN) solutions have only been commercially available for a few years, but the technology's ability to address pressing enterprise networking needs has led to remarkable growth. A new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC) estimates that worldwide SD-WAN infrastructure and services revenues will see a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 69.6% and reach $8.05 billion in 2021.

The most significant driver of SD-WAN growth over the next five years will be digital transformation (DX) in which enterprises deploy third platform technologies, including cloud, big data and analytics, mobility, and social business, to unlock new sources of innovation and creativity that enhance customer experiences and improve financial performance, according to IDC (www.idc.com). DX generally increases network workloads and elevates the network's end-to-end importance to business operations.

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Aug 01
Cloud infrastructure services grew 47% in Q2 2017

The global cloud infrastructure services market maintained strong momentum in the second quarter (Q2) of 2017, growing 47% year on year to reach US$14 billion, according to Canalys (www.canalys.com).

Amazon Web Services (AWS) remained the dominant cloud services provider, growing 42% on an annual basis and accounting for more than 30% of total spending, notes the research group. However, its growth rate was lower than those of its main rivals, Microsoft (97% growth) and Google (92% growth), but higher than fourth-placed IBM (23% growth). Overall, the top four cloud services providers represented 55% of the cloud infrastructure services market, which includes IaaS and PaaS.

Growth was driven by demand for primary cloud infrastructure services, such as on-demand computing and storage, across all customer segments and industries. However, Canalys predicts that future growth will be fueled by customers using...

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Jul 31
Parents plan less back-to-school spending than in 2016

Back-to-school shopping is in full swing, and both parents and teens are busy tackling long shopping lists. According to a new survey conducted on behalf of Ebates (www.ebates.com) many parents (42%) plan to spend between $100-$300—significantly less than the $250-$500 they planned to spend last year.

The survey also discovered that a majority of American parents are likely to take advantage of back-to-school promotions (80%). Social media is everywhere—and this year it’s even going to help teens with their back to school shopping decisions.

When asked which platform they use most frequently, teens say they use Instagram (68%) and Snapchat (67%) equally. Facebook was far behind, with only 39% of teens using it the most. College students rated Facebook much higher, however, with this age demographic selecting Instagram (71%), Snapchat (67%) and Facebook (66%) using each with about the same frequency.

...

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Jul 28
Online payment fraud detection spending to hit $9.3...

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) finds that spending on online FDP (fraud detection and prevention) solutions is set to rise to $9.3 billion by 2022, an increase of 22% over this year’s anticipated spend.

The research group finds that perceptions of high software costs alongside relatively low awareness of effective solutions in the eCommerce space were slowing service uptake. Nevertheless, Juniper predicts that several factors would prove instrumental in driving the market forward.

The growing threat of insecure IoT (Internet of Things) devices will be key in driving FDP spend, notes Juniper. The evolution of IoT botnets from DDoS (Distributed Denial-of-Service) weapons aimed at fraud automation tools will influence this trend, owing to a requirement for better customer verification tools.

Meanwhile, Juniper predicts the launch of 3DS 2.0 (3-D Secure 2.0)...

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Jul 27
Sharing economy revenues to double by 2022

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) finds that the sharing economy is set to see substantial growth, as players in more established sectors, such as transport and space, press their first mover advantage.

The research group forecasts that the sharing economy will reach $40.2 billion in 2022 in terms of platform provider revenues, up from $18.6 billion in 2017. Since Juniper’s previous research, some of the biggest names in the sharing economy including Uber and Lyft, have seen much greater returns from driver operations than expected. The proportion taken by these platforms is now around 30% per journey, as providers capitalize on an established driver network, notes Juniper.

In addition, uptake of many leading sharing services has increased considerably, with listings on shared space provider Airbnb growing from two million at the end of 2015, to 3 million this year....

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Jul 27
Refurbished, used mobile phone market to reach $40...

The global refurbished and used mobile phone market will see an expansion of 8.9% CAGR [compound annual growth rate] during the forecast period 2017 to 2025, according to Persistence Market Research (www.persistencemarketresearch.com). Global sales of refurbished and used mobile phones are estimated to account for revenues worth almost $20 million this year, notes the research group.

Global leading manufacturers of mobile phones are emphasizing on green initiatives, by reusing and recycling their products for adopting sustainability. With rapid changes in technology, new innovative gadgets with updated features are being introduced in the market, resulting into reduction in customer usage cycle of mobile phones, says Persistence Market Research.

Premium brand refurbished and used mobile phones are expected to remain sought-after in the market, with sales expanding at a...

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Jul 25
Gartner: AI tech will be in almost every new software...

Market hype and growing interest in artificial intelligence (AI) are pushing established software vendors to introduce AI into their product strategy, creating considerable confusion in the process, according to Gartner, Inc. (www.garnter.com). The research group’s analysts predict that by 2020, AI technologies will be virtually pervasive in almost every new software product and service.

In January 2016, the term "artificial intelligence" was not in the top 100 search terms on gartner.com. By May 2017, the term ranked at No. 7, indicating the popularity of the topic and interest from Gartner clients in understanding how AI can and should be used as part of their digital business strategy. Gartner predicts that by 2020, AI will be a top five investment priority for more than 30 percent of CIOs.

"As AI accelerates up the Hype Cycle, many software providers are looking to stake their claim in the biggest gold...

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Jul 25
Mobile gaming segments are the most lucrative

A report by Newzoo (www.newzoo.com) on the global games market shows that 2.2 billion gamers across the globe are expected to generate $108.9 billion in game revenues in 2017. This represents an increase of $7.8 billion, or 7.8% from the year before.

Digital game revenues will account for $94.4 billion or 87% of the global market. The Newzoo report also indicates that mobile is the most lucrative segment, with smartphone and tablet gaming growing rapidly or at 19% year on year to $46.1 billion and accounting for 42% of the market. In 2020, mobile gaming will represent just more than half of the total games market.

Newzoo says that the Asia-Pacific is by far the largest region, with China expected to generate $27.5 billion or one-quarter of all revenues in 2017. Mobile games performed even better than expected in China, while the PC segments performed worse than anticipated. North America is the second-largest...

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Jul 24
Worldwide SMB IT spending to top $676 billion in 2021

New data from International Data Corporation (IDC) forecasts that total IT spending by small and medium-size businesses (SMBs) will approach $568 billion in 2017 and increase by more than $100 billion to exceed $676 billion in 2021.

With a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 4.5%, spending by businesses with fewer than 1,000 employees on IT hardware, software, and services, including business services, is expected to be slightly stronger than the research group's previous forecast.

"SMB IT spending growth continues to track about two percentage points higher than GDP growth across regions. But beneath that slowly rising tide are faster moving currents that reflect the changing ways SMBs are acquiring and deploying technology," said Ray Boggs, vice president, SMB Research at IDC.

SMBs around the world are increasingly interested in investing in resources to improve employee productivity and improve their competitive positions. Boggs noted that while...

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Jul 24
Mobile roaming revenues to fall 11% globally in 2017

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that operator revenues from international mobile roaming are expected to experience an 11% decline in 2017, as operators introduce “Roam Like at Home” packages in key markets including Europe, North America and Asia.

“Roam Like at Home”enables mobile users to use their monthly voice, data, and messaging allowance while roaming without incurring additional charges. Juniper Research forecasts that the annual revenues, worth an estimated $54 billion in 2016, will decline to $48 billion in 2017 as revenues generated from increased usage in many markets fail to offset those lost by lower roaming charges in the EU.

“This decline in global revenues is due to a 33% fall in European roaming revenues, following the EU regulation to end roaming surcharges,” research author Nitin Bhas added. “While we expect roaming tariffs outside...

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Jul 21
Worldwide public cloud services spending to reach $266...

Worldwide spending on public cloud services and infrastructure is forecast to reach $266 billion in 2021, according to new data from IDC (www.idc.com). Although spending growth will slow somewhat over the 2016-2021 forecast period, the market is expected to achieve a five-year compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 21%, notes the research group.

Public cloud services spending will reach $128 billion in 2017, an increase of 25.4% over 2016. The U.S. will be the largest market for public cloud services accounting for more than 60% of worldwide revenues throughout the forecast and total spending of $163 billion in 2021. Western Europe and Asia/Pacific (excluding Japan)(APeJ) will be the second and third largest regions with 2021 spending levels of $52 billion and $25 billion, respectively. APeJ and Latin America will experience the fastest spending growth over the forecast period with CAGRs of 26.7% and 26.2%, respectively....

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Jul 21
Most businesses using the cloud spend $100,000-plus on...

Businesses prefer storing data in the cloud but plan to invest in extra security precautions, according to the second report in Clutch's “Annual Cloud Computing Survey.” Clutch (https://clutch.co) is a B2B ratings and reviews firm.

Nearly 70% of businesses on the cloud prefer storing data in the cloud instead of on a legacy system, and these businesses are willing to invest heavily in keeping their cloud's data secure. In fact, over half of companies surveyed spend more than $100,000 annually on additional cloud security features.

One reason for the high investment in cloud security is companies' greater awareness of the security risks that are out of their cloud provider's control, according to industry experts, according to Clutch. When it comes to application-level security, including user access, password sharing, and other individual interactions, the company and its employees shoulder the responsibility...

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Jul 20
AI, analytics speed up the pace of digital workplace...

New research examining how organizations are evolving from a traditional office environment to a digital workplace reveals that gaining competitive advantage and improving business process are among the top goals of their digital transformation strategy. This is according to 40% of 800 organizations in 15 countries on five continents that were interviewed for a new Dimension Data (www.dimensiondata.com).

The research group says that digital transformation is not just about adopting the technologies of the past: 62% of research participants expect to have technology such as virtual advisors in their organizations within the next two years. In addition, 58% expect to start actively investing in technology that powers virtual advisors in the next two years.

Today, the digital workplace is no longer just made up of managers and those managed; co-workers collaborating with one another to complete...

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Jul 19
Nearly 60% of U.S. Broadband Households Subscribe to...

A new Parks Associates (www.parksassociates.com) report notes that 59% of U.S. broadband households subscribe to Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu.

The firm's OTT Video Market Tracker service notes that only 6% of U.S. broadband households subscribe to any other OTT service without also having a subscription to one of the top three services, while 3% subscribe to one or more sports OTT video service, including MLB.TV, NFL Game Pass, NBA League Pass, or WWE Network.

The OTT Video Market Tracker ongoing service provides industry research data and analysis of competing players' strengths and weaknesses in the space and includes an exhaustive analysis of market trends and profiles of more than 100 OTT video service providers in the U.S. and Canada.

"U.S. consumers are not taking solely a Netflix, Amazon, or Hulu subscription. Many are shopping around and trialing new services to get access to...

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Jul 18
Peer-to-peer payment transactions to exceed $120...

The use of mobile peer-to-peer payment apps, such as Venmo, in the US will continue to experience double-digit growth through 2021, according to eMarketer’s (www.emarketer.com) latest mobile banking/payments forecast. 
 
The transaction value of mobile peer-to-peer payments in the U.S. will grow 55.0% this year to $120.38 billion, notes the research group. Transaction values are on pace to double by 2021.  This year in particular, growth of P2P payment apps will largely be driven by the rollout of Zelle, a network of more than 30 banks and credit unions that will allow banking customers to transfer money to others within the network.  It will be rolled out over the next 12 months.    

“Mobile P2P payments have been driven by the desire for convenience, on-demand payments and the widespread adoption of smartphones,” said eMarketer forecasting analyst Cindy Liu. “Strong double-digit growth is...

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Jul 18
In-Flight Wi-Fi to be Offered on Over Half of...

A new report from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) forecasts that commercial aircraft adopting in-flight Wi-Fi services will reach 14,419 globally by 2022, up from an estimated 5,243 in 2017. This will mean that over half of the global fleet will offer such services in 2022, compared with just under a quarter this year.

This increase will primarily be driven by the impact of the BYOD (bring your own device) trend, despite increased security concerns from several governments, primarily the US, which has given rise to the so-called “laptop ban,” says the research group. Juniper found that in-flight wireless streaming is increasingly being offered as an IFE (in-flight entertainment) option, based on a lower installation cost and weight savings versus seatback systems.

Indeed, with many vendors offering combined wireless streaming and Wi-Fi connectivity services, Juniper predicted that...

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Jul 17
IDC study reveals the top three drivers of cloud...

Newly released results from IDC (www.idc.com) reveal that the top drivers of cloud adoption include improving agility and security, as well as standardizing IT infrastructure.

As multi-cloud environments and hybrid cloud become more prevalent, the survey revealed that 87% of cloud users have adopted some capabilities for a hybrid cloud strategy, an increase of 17% compared to 2016, according to the research group.

"Beyond adoption and maturity, a series of questions on 'why are' or 'why aren't' respondents moving more workloads to the cloud makes up a key part of the study," said Ben jamin McGrath, senior research analyst, SaaS and Cloud Software.

Additional findings from the study include:

° 56% of users run more than one type of cloud deployment.

° 40% of cloud users are "Cloud First" organizations.

"When we look at the shift in IT spend over the next 12-24 months to more of a mix of...

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Jul 17
Global E-SIM card market to see increases competition

The global E-SIM card market is predicted to see the entry of a “significant number” of new players and intensifying competition in the future, according to Transparency Market Research (TMR). A few of the prominent players operating in the global E-SIM card market are Apple, Samsung, Gemalto N.V., Giesecke & Devrient, NTT DOCOMO, OT-Morpho, Telefonica S.A., Deutsche Telekom AG, Sierra Wireless., and ST Microelectronics.

A report by Transparency Market Research (www.transparencymarketresearch.cxom) projects the global E-SIM card market to expand at 13.5% CAGR [compound annual growth rate] between 2017 and 2025. At this rate, the market is expected to be pegged at $14,6 million by 2025, increasing from $4 million in 2016.

The global E-SIM card market based upon application is segmented into machine to machine (M2M), wearable and companion devices, smartphones, and...

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Jul 14
Consumer, SOHO, SMB NAS market growing at 6.14% CAGR...

Consumer, SOHO, and SMB network attached storage market will grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) now through 2021, according to a new report from ReportsnReports (reportsandreports.com). Part of that is due to the increasing popularity of cloud-based NAS, a remote storage system that can be accessed over the Internet, adds the research group.

According to the ReportsnReports report, another driver in the market is raising demand for video surveillance systems. Smart home security is among the most demanding IoT applications from the consumer's end point. Smart home security systems operate on the centralized control of the home gateway where the intelligence shifts onto the cloud network. Cloud-based services provide a more user-friendly system to end-users for controlling the security devices as part of the cloud-based system. Issues such as interoperability, updating of software and so on would all be taken care of by cloud services.

ReportsnReports says...

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Jul 11
Global docking station market to grow through 2021

A new report from Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) predicts that the global docking station market will grow at a CAGR [compound annual growth rate] of 5.87 % during the period 2017-2021.

The latest trend gaining momentum in the market is growing market for wireless docking stations, according to the research group. The growing popularity of wireless electronic devices, such as laptops and smartphones, is encouraging docking station manufacturers to design and produce docking stations that can connect to laptops and smartphones wirelessly.

Docking stations are becoming important, especially in workplaces, as they provide employees the freedom to use external monitors and other input devices with ease. However, wired docking stations add a constraint to the workplace as they restrict the mobility of users.

According to the Research and Markets report, one of the...

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Jul 07
5K display market to see ‘spectacular growth’

5K Display Resolutions is the next generation of ultra-high-definition displays and it's already causing a stir in the tech world, offering just over seven times the resolution of 1080p full HD both horizontally and also vertically. I

According to a recent study report published by Market Research Future (www.marketresearchfuture.com), the global market of 5K display resolutions has increased in recent years. The market is expected to grow at a rapid pace through 2023, according to the research group  The 5K display resolutions market is forecasted to demonstrate a spectacular growth by 2023, surpassing its previous growth records in terms of value with a striking CAGR [compound annual growth rate] during this period, adds the research group.

The continuous developments and increasing technological advancements are major factors leading to growth of 5K display resolution market....

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Jul 07
AI, cognitive computing increasingly integrated in...

Artificial intelligence (AI) and cognitive computing are increasingly integrated in many areas including Internet search, entertainment, commerce applications, content optimization, and robotics.

The long-term prospect for these technologies is that they will become embedded in many different other technologies and provide autonomous decision making on behalf of humans, both directly, and indirectly through many processes, products, and services, according to Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com) AI will anticipated to have an ever increasing role in ICT including both traditional telecommunications as well as many communications enabled applications and digital commerce, adds the research group.

Fast growing AI technologies for consumer facing industries include chat bots and Virtual Personal Assistants (VPA) and smart advisors. These technologies leverage autonomous...

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Jul 06
House of the future will be designed by digital apps

Some of us are already enjoying new technology when designing or building our homes – such as IoT [Internet of Things] devices, interior design apps or even AI. It’s predicted that soon most of our homes will enter digital age. Here is a rundown of the major features of a house of the future, according to the folks at Planner 5D (www.planner5d.com), an interior design platform.
 
° Smart interior apps. Why hire a designer, when a room can be professionally designed by the owner? Such design apps as Planner 5D gives its users the possibility to create floor plans and furnish their apartment or house based on a catalogue. The users can move furniture around, choose texture, color and size of all the pieces. It also analyzes projects crafted by millions of other people, and offers creative ideas for turning one’s apartment or house into an original, tasteful home.
 
° IoT devices. Smart homes...

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Jul 06
The Northern Spy: of birthdays and parables

By Rick Sutcliffe

Birthdays engender delays, which is why this tome is a few days late, being written on the third of July. Canada Day number 150 falling on a Saturday this year, meant the national holiday substituting for it fell on the Spy's own birthday. Nice of the country to celebrate for me, but really…

'Course, that other fractious country to the south had its birthday Tuesday. In view of recent national and other elections, the questions of course for pundits and historians are: (a) is either country (or the states/provinces therein) mature? and (b) can either avoid falling apart due to deep divisions?

Canada may be less far along the road to potential disintegration at the moment, but both neatly illustrate the Spy's old prediction that the Internet, when it came, rather then ushering in the global village, would more likely bring disparate people into contact only to exacerbate intrenched hatreds. Country vs city, have vs have not,...

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Jul 06
Cloud IT Infrastructure revenues grew 14.9% to $8...

According to the IDC (www.idc.com) vendor revenue from sales of infrastructure products (server, storage, and Ethernet switch) for cloud IT, including public and private cloud, grew 14.9% year over year in the first quarter of 2017 (1Q17), reaching $8 billion.

Cloud IT infrastructure sales as a share of overall worldwide IT spending climbed to 39% in 1Q17, a significant increase from 33.9% a year ago. Revenue from infrastructure sales to private cloud grew by 6.0% to $3.1 billion, and to public cloud by 21.7% to $4.8 billion. In comparison, revenue in the traditional (non-cloud) IT infrastructure segment decreased 8.0% year over year in the first quarter of the year.

Private cloud infrastructure growth was led by Ethernet switch at 15.5% year-over-year growth, followed by storage (excluding double counting with servers) at 10.0% and server at 2.1%. Public cloud growth was led by storage, which after heavy declines...

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Jul 05
Smart smart home market to grow from now through 2022

Analysts at Beige Market Intelligence (http://www.beigemarketintelligence.com) expect that the global smart home hub market is likely to post a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 5% and 4% in terms of unit shipment and revenue, respectively during 2016-2022.  

As customers are increasing relying on smartphones and the convenience of information available on them through a large number of websites, their needs along with their expectations have altered, notes the research group. By using a voice-assistance technology, companies are trying to offer their customers something which can assist them and make their life convenient.

The increase in per capita income and the number of dual-income households also constitute the basis of increasing spending on innovative devices such as smart home hubs. Apart from an increasing demand from developed markets, factors...

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Jul 05
IDC forecast shows continued market growth for digital...

A new forecast from International Data Corporation (IDC) shows that the trend of strong market growth in digital strategy and agency services will continue through 2021.

The strong growth rates in spending are attributed to the degree of maturity in Digital Transformation (DX) strategies as executives carefully consider and plan for the impact of digital innovation on everything from enterprise business goals to products and service innovation, business processes, organizational structures, and the workforce, according to IDC (www.idc.com).

As DX becomes completely foundational to future business, the proportion of digital-related consulting engagements will increase from about half of all business and information technology (IT) consulting engagements in 2013–2015 to approximately 70% of all engagements in 2020 or 2021, driving the total market for digital strategy and agency services to well over $100 billion in...

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Jul 03
AR gaming market to reach $284.93 billion by 2023

The AR (augmented reality) gaming market is expected to reach $284.93 billion by 2023, growing at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 152.7% from 2017 to 2023, according to Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com).

Increasing integration of AR into mobile devices, growing online population, innovations in gaming technology, and demand for IoT-based applications are forcing the organizations to integrating AR into their traditional gaming, according to the research group. The increasing online gamers and internet penetration are some of the additional factors contributing to the market growth.

The growing affordability and availability of AR games in mobile devices is a prime factor driving the market growth, according to Research and Markets. Many organizations are hugely investing in the advanced solutions that integrate AR games into mobile devices, enabling them to...

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Jun 30
Banks to spend $20.2 billion to support digital...

IDC (www.idc.com) says retail banks (including thrift banks and credit unions) in the U.S. will spend $20.2 billion on hardware, software, services, and internal IT staff to develop and implement DX initiatives in 2017, growing at an average compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 22.5% into 2020.

This compares with growth of 4.8% in overall IT spend for U.S. banks. The forecast by the research highlights spending by US–based banks across four categories of DX technology: hardware, software, IT services, and internal IT.

"There are very few banks in the United States that aren't investing in transformational technologies, and fewer still that haven't at least developed a digital transformation strategy,” said Jerry Silva, esearch director, Global Retail Banking, IDC Financial Insights. And the largest institutions are allocating more than 40% of their IT budgets to digital transformation.”

As banks in the U.S...

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Jun 29
Chinese players pursue $3.4 trillion international...

A new study from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) highlights the increasing dominance of Chinese companies in digital payments, with players such as Alibaba, Tencent and UnionPay seeking to bolster their revenues through international expansion.

According to the research group, digital payment transaction values are expected to reach $5 trillion by 2021, up from $3.6 trillion this year, of which $3.4 trillion will come from sales outside mainland China.

The report, which identified a series of key strategic approaches for players across the digital payments market, argues that both Alibaba and Tencent are keen to capitalize on the growing spend by both Chinese tourists and immigrant workers, now worth over $200 billion per annum. Potential game-changing decisions are Alipay’s move to roll out instore payments in Europe and Tencent’s efforts to deploy its WeChat wallet, which...

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Jun 28
Over half of websites collect visitors' email...

Over 50% of websites collect visitors' email addresses, creating the possibility of privacy breaches, as revealed by a survey conducted by Clutch (https://clutch.co/), a research and reviews platform for business services. 

Website visitors' email addresses are most commonly collected (57%), followed by names (47%), and locations (45%), the survey found. Although this information can provide valuable insights for businesses, inconsistent security measures may increase the risk to visitors' privacy, according to Clutch. Industry leaders point out that email addresses present the greatest security risk to consumers.
"When data is correlated over multiple web services, whether that is a Gmail account, a bank account, or a password retrieval from Facebook, it's done through the email address," said Idan Udi Edry, CEO of Trustifi, a company specializing in email transaction data security and privacy. "The...

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Jun 27
Survey: most businesses will increase cloud computing...

Businesses have become less skeptical of cloud computing, more confident in its security, and more inclined to invest money in it, according to new findings.

Nearly 70% of U.S. businesses surveyed by B2B ratings and reviews firm Clutch (https://clutch.co/cloud) say that they plan to increase spending on cloud computing in 2017. One in five of those businesses report that their cloud computing spending this year will likely increase by more than 30%.

The increased spending on cloud computing is likely due to a shift in perspective, according to experts. The cloud is no longer seen by many businesses as simply an alternative option, but as the next logical step for data storage and management.
"Cloud is the new normal," said Jeremy Przygode, CEO of Stratalux, Inc., a California-based Managed Service Provider (MSP). "When businesses need to evaluate new solutions, or need to do a hardware...

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Jun 26
Global cloud mobile music services market to grow at 7...

The global cloud mobile music services market is expected to grow at a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of more than 7% from 2017-2021, according to Technavio’s (www.technavio.com) latest market research.

“Cloud-based online music enables listeners to move from the traditional way of owning music to a new model of 'anytime-anywhere' access to music. Moving from an ownership model to subscription and ad-supported music is likely to change the music preferences of consumers as they will experiment more with the new forms of music,” says Ishmeet Kaur, a lead enterprise application research expert from Technavio.

In 2016, the US and Canada were the key regions in the cloud mobile music services market in North America. Increasing number of mobile phone users, rising Internet penetration, and popular social media fueled the demand for cloud mobile music services in the region. In 2016, there was an increase...

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Jun 23

Retailers to lose $71 billion in card-not-present...

New data from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has found that retailers stand to lose $71 billion globally from fraudulent CNP (Card-Not-Present) transactions over the next five years. The research found that a number of factors, such as the USA’s shift to EMV cards, delays in 3DS 2.0 (3D-Secure) and click-and-collect fraud were key drivers behind the rise.

Juniper’s latest research found that many merchants still perceive combatting fraud as too expensive. Consequently, they have been ill-prepared to deal with the shift to online fraud following the introduction of EMV (CHIP and signature) payment cards in the USA.

Nevertheless, Juniper’s cost analysis of FDP (fraud detection and prevention) solutions found that in most instances, merchants would receive value from their investment. The analyst house urges players across the value chain to increase their efforts in educating...

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Jun 23
Smart speaker unit shipments to surge between 2017 and...

Voice controlled smart speaker unit shipments are expected to increase from around 10 million to approximately 80 million, between 2017 and 2022, globally, according to new data from Research and Markets (www.researchandmarkets.com). This includes market segments: voice controlled room speakers, portable/battery powered speakers, sound bars and wireless multi-room speakers.

Voice controlled smart speakers are experiencing significant growth and are playing an important role in the evolution of the voice user interface. Recent developments in artificial intelligence, and natural language processing to enhance voice recognition capabilities has increased the overall demand for voice software platforms embedded in speakers and smart home devices.

A range of innovative voice technologies are creating new opportunities across a broad range of use case applications from streaming content, and...

| Read more »
Jun 22
Consumer connected car revenues to near $50 billion by...

A new report from Juniper Research (www.juniperresearch.com) has revealed that, by 2022, 50% of consumer vehicles on the road will have at least one connectivity service, such as telematics, V2X (vehicle-to-everything) communications, or connected car commerce services.

The new research found that revenues from consumer connected car services will rise from $18.4bn in 2017 to $49.2bn in 2022, a 21.6% CAGR (compound annual growth rate). Increasing industry involvement from OEMs (original equipment manufacturers) and network operators, combined with the development of new V2X services, will be key drivers for future growth.

Juniper Research found that automotive OEMs must prepare to capitalize on the impending opportunities of V2X services, such as smart parking and automated fuel payments. North America will emerge as the leading region in this space, accounting for 39% of all end-user spend...

| Read more »
Jun 22
32% of businesses victims of a major cyber-attack over...

Spohn Security Solutions says 32% of businesses were victims of a major cyber-attack over the past year. The corporate world loses $388 billion annually recovering from cybersecurity breaches, $55 billion is spent annually fixing computer viruses alone, according to the research group.
 
Timothy Crosby, senior security consultant for Spohn Security Solutions (https://spohnsolutions.com), says while cyber criminals bear the brunt of blame, much of the security threat comes from within an organization. A survey of 4,500 CIOs and technology leaders found that:

° The insider threat is the #1 fastest-growing security risk;

° Fifty-five percent of businesses reported a security breach due to a malicious or negligent employee;

° Fifty percent of individuals causing a breach were granted IT system access by their organization.
 
Per Crosby, though some employees...

| Read more »
 

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Dropbox 193.4.5594 - Cloud backup and sy...
Dropbox is a file hosting service that provides cloud storage, file synchronization, personal cloud, and client software. It is a modern workspace that allows you to get to all of your files, manage... Read more
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Google Chrome is a Web browser by Google, created to be a modern platform for Web pages and applications. It utilizes very fast loading of Web pages and has a V8 engine, which is a custom built... Read more
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Skype is a telecommunications app that provides HD video calls, instant messaging, calling to any phone number or landline, and Skype for Business for productive cooperation on the projects. This... Read more
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Using Tor Browser you can protect yourself against tracking, surveillance, and censorship. Tor was originally designed, implemented, and deployed as a third-generation onion-routing project of the U.... Read more
Deeper 3.0.4 - Enable hidden features in...
Deeper is a personalization utility for macOS which allows you to enable and disable the hidden functions of the Finder, Dock, QuickTime, Safari, iTunes, login window, Spotlight, and many of Apple's... Read more
OnyX 4.5.5 - Maintenance and optimizatio...
OnyX is a multifunction utility that you can use to verify the startup disk and the structure of its system files, to run miscellaneous maintenance and cleaning tasks, to configure parameters in the... Read more

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Zenless Zone Zero opens entries for its...
miHoYo, aka HoYoverse, has become such a big name in mobile gaming that it's hard to believe that arguably their flagship title, Genshin Impact, is only three and a half years old. Now, they continue the road to the next title in their world, with... | Read more »
Live, Playdate, Live! – The TouchArcade...
In this week’s episode of The TouchArcade Show we kick things off by talking about all the games I splurged on during the recent Playdate Catalog one-year anniversary sale, including the new Lucas Pope jam Mars After Midnight. We haven’t played any... | Read more »
TouchArcade Game of the Week: ‘Vroomies’
So here’s a thing: Vroomies from developer Alex Taber aka Unordered Games is the Game of the Week! Except… Vroomies came out an entire month ago. It wasn’t on my radar until this week, which is why I included it in our weekly new games round-up, but... | Read more »
SwitchArcade Round-Up: ‘MLB The Show 24’...
Hello gentle readers, and welcome to the SwitchArcade Round-Up for March 15th, 2024. We’re closing out the week with a bunch of new games, with Sony’s baseball franchise MLB The Show up to bat yet again. There are several other interesting games to... | Read more »
Steam Deck Weekly: WWE 2K24 and Summerho...
Welcome to this week’s edition of the Steam Deck Weekly. The busy season has begun with games we’ve been looking forward to playing including Dragon’s Dogma 2, Horizon Forbidden West Complete Edition, and also console exclusives like Rise of the... | Read more »
Steam Spring Sale 2024 – The 10 Best Ste...
The Steam Spring Sale 2024 began last night, and while it isn’t as big of a deal as say the Steam Winter Sale, you may as well take advantage of it to save money on some games you were planning to buy. I obviously recommend checking out your own... | Read more »
New ‘SaGa Emerald Beyond’ Gameplay Showc...
Last month, Square Enix posted a Let’s Play video featuring SaGa Localization Director Neil Broadley who showcased the worlds, companions, and more from the upcoming and highly-anticipated RPG SaGa Emerald Beyond. | Read more »
Choose Your Side in the Latest ‘Marvel S...
Last month, Marvel Snap (Free) held its very first “imbalance" event in honor of Valentine’s Day. For a limited time, certain well-known couples were given special boosts when conditions were right. It must have gone over well, because we’ve got a... | Read more »
Warframe welcomes the arrival of a new s...
As a Warframe player one of the best things about it launching on iOS, despite it being arguably the best way to play the game if you have a controller, is that I can now be paid to talk about it. To whit, we are gearing up to receive the first... | Read more »
Apple Arcade Weekly Round-Up: Updates an...
Following the new releases earlier in the month and April 2024’s games being revealed by Apple, this week has seen some notable game updates and events go live for Apple Arcade. What The Golf? has an April Fool’s Day celebration event going live “... | Read more »

Price Scanner via MacPrices.net

Apple Education is offering $100 discounts on...
If you’re a student, teacher, or staff member at any educational institution, you can use your .edu email address when ordering at Apple Education to take $100 off the price of a new M3 MacBook Air.... Read more
Apple Watch Ultra 2 with Blood Oxygen feature...
Best Buy is offering Apple Watch Ultra 2 models for $50 off MSRP on their online store this week. Sale prices available for online orders only, in-store prices may vary. Order online, and choose... Read more
New promo at Sams Club: Apple HomePods for $2...
Sams Club has Apple HomePods on sale for $259 through March 31, 2024. Their price is $40 off Apple’s MSRP, and both Space Gray and White colors are available. Sale price is for online orders only, in... Read more
Get Apple’s 2nd generation Apple Pencil for $...
Apple’s Pencil (2nd generation) works with the 12″ iPad Pro (3rd, 4th, 5th, and 6th generation), 11″ iPad Pro (1st, 2nd, 3rd, and 4th generation), iPad Air (4th and 5th generation), and iPad mini (... Read more
10th generation Apple iPads on sale for $100...
Best Buy has Apple’s 10th-generation WiFi iPads back on sale for $100 off MSRP on their online store, starting at only $349. With the discount, Best Buy’s prices are the lowest currently available... Read more
iPad Airs on sale again starting at $449 on B...
Best Buy has 10.9″ M1 WiFi iPad Airs on record-low sale prices again for $150 off Apple’s MSRP, starting at $449. Sale prices for online orders only, in-store price may vary. Order online, and choose... Read more
Best Buy is blowing out clearance 13-inch M1...
Best Buy is blowing out clearance Apple 13″ M1 MacBook Airs this weekend for only $649.99, or $350 off Apple’s original MSRP. Sale prices for online orders only, in-store prices may vary. Order... Read more
Low price alert! You can now get a 13-inch M1...
Walmart has, for the first time, begun offering new Apple MacBooks for sale on their online store, albeit clearance previous-generation models. They now have the 13″ M1 MacBook Air (8GB RAM, 256GB... Read more
Best Apple MacBook deal this weekend: Get the...
Apple has 13″ M2 MacBook Airs available for only $849 today in their Certified Refurbished store. These are the cheapest M2-powered MacBooks for sale at Apple. Apple’s one-year warranty is included,... Read more
New 15-inch M3 MacBook Air (Midnight) on sale...
Amazon has the new 15″ M3 MacBook Air (8GB RAM/256GB SSD/Midnight) in stock and on sale today for $1249.99 including free shipping. Their price is $50 off MSRP, and it’s the lowest price currently... Read more

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*Apple* Software Developer - TEKsystems (Uni...
Description: The Kentucky State Board of Elections is seeking a contractor-based Apple Software developer to create and maintain an iPad based software application Read more
W10 & *Apple* Desktop Support - TEKsyst...
…where in that experience range 6 months to 3 years) W7/10 Apple OSX OS Support and general Client Networking support Desktop/Laptop Installation/de-installation Read more
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