Rodent-Sized Computer Is A Mouse AND A Desktop In One!

In Poland, a guy just created the craziest compact PC that you will probably ever see. His new invention is called "The Mouse Box", and it is literally small enough to fit inside a regular computer mouse says a software engineer from Nokia.

Is It A Mouse Or A Computer? Or Both?

Not only can it fit inside of a mouse, but that is exactly what it is: a computer inside of a mouse. With the Mouse Box, you really don't have to worry about traveling with your computer at all. You could probably fit it inside of your pocket actually. By combining a computer and a mouse into one thing, you literally have the two most important aspects of a desktop PC all in one.

But What Are The Specs?

Under the hood of this little guy, there's: a 1.4GHz processor, 128 GB of flash storage, Wi-Fi connectivity, a micro HDMI port so that you can connect it to just about any monitor or even a TV, two USB 3.0 ports, a gyroscope, and an accelerometer. And keep in mind, this is all inside of a mouse.

Which OS Will It Handle?

So far we don't really know what operating systems are able to run on the Mouse Box. But other than that, it has everything it needs to run a lot of programs and process a lot of data. Of course, you will also be able to greatly increase your productivity by using the cloud to for storage.

MouseBox Could Use Your Help!

Right now, the company plans to hopefully launch the product in a few months. At the moment, they are still building prototypes and working on a wireless charger for the Mouse Box. They are also working on trying to find financial backing to make all of this a lot smoother, easier and faster. With a product like this, I feel like it won't be that hard to find investors; though it appears they are still looking for donations and funding. Perhaps the best thing about the Mouse Box is the fact that it is going to be a relatively inexpensive device, so you'll be able to take one home soon!

Netgear N300 Trek Travel Router Keeps You Connected Like Never Before

One of the more overlooked devices that debuted at CES was the Netgear N300 Trek wireless router. It's a really small, USB powered device that lets you share a wired or wireless internet connection with several different devices at a time. You can also use it to boost a weak Wi-Fi signal.

Getting started with this little guy is pretty simple. You have to first choose which type of network you are connecting to, either wireless or wired, and then slide up the antenna. It comes configured with an SSID and a randomly generated password. Once you get everything together and open up the default web page for the device you can save a profile for the hotspot you're connecting to, then select the network you are connecting the router to, and then you'll be taken to the network's log in page.

Once you are all hooked up, you can connect as many devices as you'd like without having to log in again. You can connect all of your wireless devices, but you are not limited to wireless connections because it even comes with Ethernet ports for all of your wired devices.

This comes in super handy when staying in hotel rooms while you are traveling. First of all, most hotel rooms have very outdated technology. They aren't meant to handle our current multi-device lifestyle. Also, lots of hotel rooms make you pay for your internet connection per device you have. If you get your password that you paid for, just use this device and connect all your other devices to it. It's kind of cheating the system.

This is the perfect device for any business traveler. On top of it being perfect, it is almost a necessity at this point for anyone who needs to stay connected on the road to keep their life going.

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Keeping Your Data Safe During Travel

Usually, when you are on the road traveling, the last thing you are going to think of is keeping your data secure. But either way, the data contained within your mobile devices is extremely vulnerable to security breaches whether you're thinking about it or not. When you connect to Wi-Fi hot spots while you're at the airport and dealing with important business over unsecure wireless connections, you are actually taking a pretty big risk. There are a few things that you should always keep in mind while you are working on the go in order to make sure that you and your information stays as safe as possible.

1. Make Sure Your Passwords Are Strong

I would hope that this would go without saying. We get it pushed down our throats all the time, and now even when you sign up for something it requires you to create a strong password. But surprisingly enough, "12345678" is still one of the most commonly used passwords of all time. There is actually very efficient password cracking software out there that uses the 1,000 most common passwords, and it is proven to crack 8 percent of users passwords. You should always make sure you have at least an 8 character password that includes one uppercase letter and one number. Those type of passwords are hard for programs to crack.

2. Unencrypted Connections Are Sketchy. Treat Them As Such.

Free Wi-Fi at fast food places or coffee shops seems like a good idea. It's free, and it convenient. Although you should always keep in mind that public connections don't require a password or authentication. This means that they are open for anyone to access them, even hackers. If a connection requires a password or some type of authentication, that means that it is encrypted and generally at least a little bit more safe.

3. Just Because You Pay For A Connection Doesn't Make It Secure

Just because a place charges you money to connect to their internet does not mean that it's secure. They don't care about you or your information, they are just happy you gave them money. After that, everything else is your problem. It's hard to tell how safe any connection is unless it's your own, so just make sure that you use caution when you have to do this.

4. Use Software To Locate Your Device

Mobile Device Management software is used to locate your device in case it gets stolen. In the event that something does happen to your device, you can log into your account with a computer or a different device and delete everything on your lost phone. You can also generally track it via GPS and get a good idea of where it is at. Apple products like the iPhone come standard with this type of software, and it is an absolute life saver. Most other manufacturers at least offer something like this, and if not, there are lots of third party apps that to do exact same thing just as good.

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How To Keep Your Android Device Clean And Fast

There are plenty of reasons why you should make sure to clean out your Android device periodically. When you have tons of apps installed, a lot of them have routines that run constantly and can take away from the performance of your phone. What is even worse than that is the fact that some of them continuously access the internet. This can be a big problem if you do not have unlimited data, which most of us do not.

On top of that, expandable storage on smartphones is becoming more rare with every new smartphone launch. So having all of these old apps and all of their data is taking up useful storage space that you could be using for something... useful.

If your cell phone is suffering from a lack of storage and/or slow performance, then you should take advantage of this article and figure out how to identify and remove the useless things that are taking up all of the precious space on your device.

Store Your Media Elsewhere

All of your media doesn't have to travel with you in your pocket for the rest of your life. Let's face it, you're never going to look at most of it ever again, even if you don't want to delete it. So, if your phone storage is getting low, offload your media to a PC.

if you open your device's settings, you can see a graph that shows all of the storage in use and the available space you have left. You can look at this to determine where you should start freeing up space. Pay attention to the pictures and videos section. These take up a lot of space, and they make the most sense to store on your computer instead of your phone.

To do this, open the settings option under "Storage" on the device. Touch USB connection on an Android KitKat device and then connect as Media Device. Then plug in a USB cable from the device to your PC and let the drivers automatically install on the PC. After that, all you have to do is use Windows Explorer to browse through all of your phone's files and drag them on to your computer into any folder that you would like them to be saved under. After they have been successfully removed from the device, just delete them off the phone. You can even reverse this to put them back on your device later if you want to.

Organization

 You can also get a couple different organization apps and third party screen locks, like Cover Lock Screen. Some screen lock apps are useful if you have tons of app launch icons on your home screen. They can even learn which apps you use, when you use them, and from where, and then deliver them as you need them. This is pretty successful in cutting down on date usage.

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Best Travel Apps From 2013

If you have a smartphone or a tablet then you already know how flooded the app market is. Sometimes it can feel impossible to sift through everything and find an app that is even worth the time that it takes to download. We all have those select few apps that we have been using for years, but sometimes you just have to wonder if there is anything else out there that might be better. Unfortunately, this past year didn't give birth to any game changers, but there are in fact a few new apps that could give you a breath of fresh air and help you out in your business travels.

1. Hipmunk

This app has really set the bar in searching for hotels and flights because of it's unrivaled sorting ability. Hipmunk lets you search for flights by class off service and also access your past queries. You can get really in depth and pick your flight based off of travel time, price, or just by airline. You can also choose the "Agony" option and it will show you the flight with the least amount of travel time possible. The hotel search is great as well and can be narrowed down to specific neighborhoods. All of the search results are very easy to read and follow with it's nice looking color coded charts. It will also show you popular places in different areas like restaurants or stores. You can narrow your search by choosing different options like business, kid friendly, luxury, or romantic.

2. Refresh

This app lets you get your creep on. Basically, it shows you all of the available data about a person that you are getting ready to meet. This could be a potential new employee that you are about to interview, someone you may be considering working for, or even just someone you're thinking about taking on a date. It uses various social media profiles of the person that you search to gather most of the useful information that you may need and puts it in one place for you. They claim that the purpose of the app is to eliminate the grueling pain of awkward small talk when meeting someone for the first time, but you can choose to do with it what you will. I think it's a neat idea for job interviews.

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3. Viber

Viber is an absolutely fantastic app for the traveling business person who finds themselves in a place where they don't have very good cell service, your mobile plan doesn't cover roaming, or your plan isn't unlimited. Basically, this app lets you make phone calls and send text messages for free as long as you have a Wi-Fi connection. Most people probably think that Skype would be the best for this, but when you make a call or send a text with Viber, it uses your existing phone number. On top of that, syncing all of your existing contacts with the app is probably the easiest thing in the world.

4. MyCityWay

This app gives you a very quick description of any city that you may want to know more about. You can choose categories for dining, pharmacies, weather, local news, and public transit. This is the perfect app for when you are traveling and end up staying in a city that you aren't familiar with. I would recommend that you download it instead of skipping over it because the name makes it sound dumb

5. Taxi Magic

This is one of the easiest ways to get a cab. It works in 60 U.S. cities and provides you with immediate pickups, fare estimates, and you can even make reservations to be picked up at a later time or date. You can also track your taxi to find out where its at so that you can be inside until the moment it arrives. Possibly the best part is that you can pay ahead of time via credit card and get a receipt emailed to you. Doesn't get much easier than that, right?

Innovative Power Supplies For Mobile Workers

Innovative Power Supplies For Mobile Workers
by Laura Chapman

Technology finally appears to be catching up with the mobile worker, allowing for more and more professionals to operate effectively outside of the office. There are two major obstacles the world has worked to overcome in recent years, internet access and power.

Through 3G networks, internet access is improving for out-of-office workers, providing a wealth of benefits. Interactive maps allow individuals to easily find specific locations, while cloud computing means travelling workers can access company files from beyond the physical confines of the workplace.

Power supplies in laptops and phones differ greatly from brand to brand, and again depending upon an individual’s personal usage. Typically, a business person working away from the office will require more than the average amount of power during the day. If you run out of battery it can cause many difficulties.  In the event of a business emergency, where can an out-of-office worker locate a power supply?

Mobile power sources

Rail travel

Some trains now offer both Wi-Fi and power points for mobile phones and laptops to make life easier for mobile workers. This can be extremely beneficial to businesses as it means travel time can be utilized more effectively – preparation which may once have been limited to office hours can be done on the way to a client visit. If you require Wi-Fi and power for your electronic devices, check with the rail company before you book your seat.

Travelling by road

Sometimes rail travel simply isn’t the best option – for example when the train station is 20 miles from your final destination. If you are travelling by car, there are many in-car chargers available to help you keep your batteries topped up. The PC247 60W Universal Power Car Adapter/ Charger has a choice of eight adapters  and plugs directly into your car’s cigarette lighter for laptop-charging on the go. There are many similar devices that cater for mobile phones, too.

Travelling by foot

The most innovative device for charging up your mobile technology comes in the form of a back pack. The Voltaic OffGrid Solar Backpack charges mobile phones, tablets and notebooks using the power of the sun, so it’s ideal if you’re travelling on foot, on a train with no chargers or even planning on working al fresco.

The travel gadget features a removable solar pocket which captures and stores the sun’s energy to be transferred to your mobile devices – and also boasts 1,500 cubic inches of space in which to store everything you need for the ultimate mobile office. If that’s not enough space or you simply don’t like the style of the carrier, you can attach the solar panel to other bags to provide a stylish power solution wherever you are. They can be attached to basically anything which will be in the sun, such as bike racks or even your suit.

The backpack’s solar panels are lightweight, waterproof and relatively robust so you don’t have to worry about stepping out in the rain or being jostled about on public transport. As you travel in the daylight the panels will charge up on the go – but you can also charge up the universal USB battery before your trip by using a USB from a laptop or by using a DC or an AC cable. The battery will charge using a power source in 5.5 hours, or by using the sun in 7 hours of direct sunlight. The battery offers up to 19 hours of talk time for mobile phones – and for just one hour charging in the sun you will benefit from three hours talk time.

When using the sunlight to charge the backpack you are utilizing sustainable resources to power your equipment. On top of that, the backpack is manufactured from recycled plastic bottles (PET), assuaging even the greenest conscience.

In terms of what you can carry, the bag has been designed with business users in mind, offering a padded laptop pocket and mobile phone pouch on the shoulder strap of the pack. Plus, it boasts internal wire channels which allow you to charge up your devices while you’re on the move.

Mobile technology has come on leaps and bounds in recent years making working out of the office more of a realistic possibility than it has ever been before.

Power Bag for Working on the Go

If you are like me you have lots of little devices that tag along with you everywhere you go. There is nothing worse than being on the road and worrying about your batteries holding out throughout the day. Wouldn’t it be cool if there was a way to charge up your phone and Ipad and Ipod and other handy devices, all while on the road? Well, now there is.

Fūl has designed the Power Bag that can carry and charge your devices. The Powerbag contains a 3000 mha battery, a 6000 mha battery or a 9000 mha battery to fit your charging needs. It also contains pockets of various sizes and connectors to charge literally thousands of different kinds of devices including USB and Apple compatible connectors. With everything inside the bag, you never have to worry about leaving another charger behind in your hotel room while you are traveling.

Other features include adjustable straps, a power button on the outside of the bag, a plug-in to charge your bag and a meter display to check on the charging. This bag truly is invaluable to the traveling techie. Power Bags comes in three different styles including backpack, messenger and briefcase and run anywhere from $140 to $300. A 3000 mha battery in the messenger style bag is only about two pounds to add to things that I carry around with me anyway, and to be able to have them all together and charged is totally worth it. Powerbags can be puchased at BestBuy, Amazon, Staples and many more locations. For more information on Powerbags please visit their website.

Short-throw projectors only require half the projection distance of traditional projectors. The projector can be placed just a foot or so from the screen. This is nice because it keeps the projector and screen near each other instead of having a long throw projector that people can accidentally block.

CNN Apps for iPod/iPhone

CNN has announced new international news apps available for the iPhone and iPod touch. The apps are available at the Apple App Store and provide you with the ability to follow news by topic, upload iReports, watch video, and more. CNN already has a domestic app available for download.

Features include push notification, regionalisation and personalisation tools, and more. News from around the globe can be viewed through text, video, and photos, as well as content uploaded through iReport from users.

Nick Wrenn, Vice President of digital services for CNN International said of the apps, "Our users, including many business travelers, understand that the world is a highly connected place. Our aim with the CNN App is to serve their mobile needs, putting relevant news, analysis and video right at their fingertips in a form that is both personally relevant and easy to use."

Here is a more detailed look at what the apps have to offer:

• "My CNN" allows users to follow a story or topic and get alerts when something new related to that topic or story is published.
• Users can save stories to read offline.
• Readers can choose a particular area such as Middle East, Africa, Asia, or Europe to get news from.
• iReport allows users to upload video and pictures to CNN's user-generated news community, weigh in on other news stories, and view what others have to say or post.
• The app features easy to navigate news headlines from several categories, including "Top Stories," various regions of the world, business, travel, tech, sports, and entertainment.
• Stories are easy to view and easy to share via email, Facebook, Twitter, etc.
• Videos are available on demand.

For more information, visit the Apple App Store for iPhone and iPod touch or CNN.com. The international app is free.

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Professionals Prefer Phones to... Everything

Smartphones are everywhere these days, iPhones, Blackberries, Androids and others, and apparently their owners are quite attached to them. At least that's what a new survey from RingCentral, a cloud computing business phone system provider says.

"This survey demonstrates the critical role smartphones play in business. The passion business professionals have for these devices reflects a major shift in the way we work, and the new reality is that businesses do not have to choose between mobility and professionalism," said the CEO of RingCentral, Vlad Shmunis.

So what exactly did the survey find? Well, only about 17% of professional smartphone users admit they'd never give up their morning cup of coffee for their phone and 40% of smartphone users said their phones, tied with intimate relationships, is the one thing they can't live without. Yes, that means some professionals see their phone as being just important as their significant others and would have a hard time deciding between the two. Just 3% said they couldn't live without checking social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter.

About 79% of those surveyed said they use their smartphone to conduct business more often than their home or office phones and 34% say they use their phones more often than their computer for business purposes. About 7% even say they leave their laptops at home when they travel if they can take their phones.

While some have wondered whether or not people would ever give up their computers for their computers all together, this survey certainly seems to lean in that direction. At least the two compliment each other well. When your phone allows you to browse the web, check email, and post on Twitter or Facebook, it can work in place of your laptop when traveling, especially since it might fit in your pocket and not require extra security effort at the airport. Of course, if you plan to do any heavy work, you'll probably need your laptop. And with the release of the iPad and what's sure to be a new fad in technology, business professionals have a new option all together.

Another Great Article:

Different Types of Projectors You Can Rent

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Airport Security to Tighten Belt Another Notch

The new year is bringing more changes in airport security. The New York Times reports that organization and planning in advance is key to moving through check points quickly. Here are a few tips from the Transportation Security Administration website in order to help you plan for your next business trip.

- Only use travel sized bottles of shampoo and other toiletries such as toothpaste and shaving cream.

- Put all bottles and make up into a clear Ziploc bag or pack them neatly in a clear organizer where everything can be seen and identified quickly.

- When in doubt leave it out! Certain small sharp objects like screwdrivers are aloud as long as they are 7in in length or shorter. Cigarette lighters however are generally prohibited.

- Pack everything neatly. Make sure all cords like cell charger, mouse and any computer cords are wound up and tied neatly.

Finally, the less you can get by without taking with you, the faster your trip through security check points are going to be. For example consider buying toiletries at your destination, or consider technology rental to have a loaded laptop with the software you need waiting for you at your hotel.

For more information on airport security and travel please visit the TSA website

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Apple Products Among Time's Best Travel Gadgets

Time Magazine has just come out with their list of the best travel gadgets of 2009 and Apple products seem to reign supreme. The iPod touch and the MacBook both made the cut; the MacBook because of its size and environmental friendliness and the iPod Touch due to its Wi-Fi compatibility, speed and selection of games.

Strangely absent from the list was what is perhaps Apple's most popular product: the iPhone.

So what else made the cut? Coming in at the number one spot is the Slingbox Pro HD. It is followed by MiFi, the Targus 4-port Smart USB Hub, the MacBook and Beats Solo rounding out the top five. To see the complete list, visit Time.com.