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As a leader in the telecommunications industry, Don Burns has leveraged his resources to support various philanthropic causes. He is the founder and president of the Donald A. Burns Foundation and leads the Palm Beach, Florida-based nonprofit to assist several charitable causes in the areas of education and social welfare. In addition to facilitating school athletic programs within urban communities in Florida, Massachusetts, and Mississippi, the Foundation supports organizations such as Palliative & Supportive Care of Nantucket, which provides a comprehensive range of services for individuals facing serious health conditions. The Donald A. Burns Foundation’s support for those with chronic and terminal illnesses also extends to God’s Love We Deliver, a New York City nonprofit that delivers approximately 5,000 meals daily to community members who are unable to cook for themselves. Additionally, the Foundation champions causes in the political sector as a supporter of the Gay and Lesbian Leadership Institute. Throughout his professional career, Don Burns has facilitated the transformation of the landscape of the telecommunications sector. As the founding president of Telco Communications Group, Inc., he pioneered a new billing process for long distance home phone services, offering customers rates up to 50 percent lower than other industry-leading firms and disrupting the virtual monopoly held by AT&T at the time. Mr. Burns developed Telco into a market-leading firm in just three years, raised $77 million at its IPO, and eventually sold the successful company for $1 billion. Don Burns has also played a role in pioneering Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technologies as chairman of the board for magicJack, which has sold over 10 million of its devices and has had its software products downloaded by millions of computer, tablet, and smartphone users.

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Some Of The Reasons Why Radio Still Matters Today

Many people have a tendency to believe that as new technologies arrive, more outdated methods quickly fall back into obscurity until they are completely forgotten. Others fear the advent of better forms of communication or the application of technology in more effective manners because they feel that more conventional methods they have become accustomed to may turn obsolete and be quickly replaced.

In many cases, new technology pushes off the old when it is able to the same job, but with considerable improvements in speed, ease of operation and better convenience for the end user, people’s fear for things becoming obsolete is well founded, however, it isn’t always the case.

Sometimes new technologies coexist well together with the traditional methods of getting things done, mostly because while they bring something new to the table, they do not completely replace old habits or they are simply not quite as effective. Radio is a perfect example of an older technology that despite the huge advances being made by other means of delivering audio content to the masses, continues to have a large following and remains being one of the most effective ways of delivering news, entertainment and advertisement.

The last 15 years have been crucial in the showcase of new technologies and with the advent of a new world and faster methods of communications, it only made sense for radio to also evolve and adjust to the times. Satellite radio has been a key player in this shift towards “on demand” audio entertainment with literally hundreds of stations available to cater for every possible taste out there. 

Satellite radio stations are the perfect example of variety and convenience as they have every type of music out there and even some of the most obscure tendencies of today’s independent labels but without forgetting the classics, the best talk shows, humor and even some old radio dramas that tap right into the nostalgic bone of many subscribers.

Satellite is also not the only new guy in town. Internet streaming has also become a big deal with sites like Pandora and Spotify offering on demand radio experiences that allow you to not simply listen to the exact song you are thinking about without having to download it to your phone, but also create your favorite playlists and share them with the world.

So what then? If satellite radio is so great, then why is regular good old radio still alive? Some may say this is all about nostalgia, but that would simply be unrealistic. Our world moves at a very fast pace and clinging to the past in such way would be not only impractical, but it would force those people to become an obscure group of collectors yearning for the days of yonder.

Radio doesn't seem to be going away anytime soon simply because it is still extremely useful and it fills needs that new technologies are yet unable to fill.

Image courtesy of Pixabay at Pexels.com

One of the first things to account for radio’s enduring shelf life is probably the fact that is free. Since advertising supports the service, the only thing you need in order to enjoy its benefits is to have a receiver and you are good to go. Satellite radio as well as streaming services, require for you to pay a monthly fee while radio offers all of its content without having to pay a single dime. 

Radio doesn't need for you to buy expensive equipment that becomes obsolete, and something else to consider when looking at radio being free is that advertising through it ends up being quite cost efficient and also a great way of making your products and services known to your customers.

Radio is also local. Nothing beats being able to receive the local news, weather report and just information that is relevant to you and where you are at the moment. The Internet is there of course, but radio is reliable and easily available everywhere you are without having to have a complicated device to manipulate and Internet access. Also, you can listen to the radio while driving and when the power is out, you can count on radio to entertain you.

Radio is also a great way to discover new music and to get a taste of what the world is listening to. Radio listening is still the way we measure the success of new sounds coming out on the market and how well they are received around the world. Music is a universal language, and radio has been the way that language is carried out all over the world.  

No matter how you look at it, radio is here to stay and perhaps new technologies will focus on making it even better than it already is while continuing to offer us choices that will not necessarily compete, but enhance the experience.

If you want to read more great articles about telecommunications and all things wireless technologies, then check out our publications at Don Burn’s Blog.   

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Useful apps businesses use to communicate

It is no secret that we happen to live in a fast-paced world. Fashion is hard to follow; new trends are popping-up every couple minutes; borders and frontiers are being constantly questioned and boundaries are being pushed now more than ever.

This constant change of trends and the way we interact with each other is always being affected by a key element called technology. This element has been around for longer than we can remember. However, nowadays we are more prone to relate it to electronic devices such as our smartphones.

In this sense, technology has become key to most companies, giving them the chance to communicate more effectively to their teams through –the already mentioned- smartphones. The reason to this is that most of us spend several hours of the day plugged to these devices and that companies are changing their paradigms into more flexible schemes.

How is this possible?

It is important to notice that business communication through our smartphones is only possible by using different apps. These apps offer a wide range of alternatives depending on the business’ priorities and preferences. Thanks to this situation, Don Burns will share in this article some of the most commonly used apps for business communication today.

These apps are available on desktop computers, smartphones or both. They are good for different types of communication such as instant messaging, email, video calls, or voice calls. Some of them even allow you to send SMS text messages or do regular phone calls.

In a way, using these apps helped business avoid excuses due to the lack of alternatives to communicate. Also, they found a way to become more productive by enhancing communication among their teams.

HipChat

HipChat is one of the most commonly used apps in the business world, especially when it comes to small businesses or startups. Unlike another app, HipChat allows teams to communicate inside a chat room. These rooms can be connected to Facebook, Dropbox, Google Drive and even allow individuals to send GIFs.

Image courtesy of Gustavo da Cunha Pimenta at Flickr.com

It comes in a “freemium” version with many useful features for businesses. However, if a company wants to get a bit more from the app, it can buy a paid version for a very low price.

Slack

Along with HipChat, Slack has become one of the most popular apps for business communication. It allows all team members to work in a collaborative way, especially when these team members need to work from remote locations.

This app was originated as an internal communication app for a game development company. It became so successful that their creators decided to upgrade it and help it become what it is today. Its interface allows companies to organize chat rooms based on topics. Also, direct messaging is allowed as well as the creation of private groups.

Basecamp

Basecamp is a business communication app designed so everyone in any given company is able to use it. It is meant to be easy to understand and use and at the same time allows individuals to share files and information about collaborative projects.

This app allows companies to have a direct and formal communication with their clients and suppliers. This way, not only the internal communication is consolidated, but all the matters related to a collaborative project are integrated.

Unlike other apps, Basecamp offers the possibility of opening discussion boards. This is incredibly helpful for those who are tired of getting endless emails trying to solve the same issue. Also, it offers the alternative of creating to-do lists for the entire team.

DialMyCalls

DialMyCalls is a business communication app that allows you to send mass notifications via SMS or phone call. Usually, companies use it to send rather important memos or notifications to employees. In a way, it replaced the old-fashioned calendar, since it reminds people of their important work-related dates (such as meetings, birthdates, due dates and upcoming business events).

Also, DialMyCalls offers the possibility of sharing everyone’s schedules. This way, people know when they need to cover someone’s shift or if anyone gets sick or has to miss work. Another particular characteristic of this app is that it can be used to implement an inbound complaint line. That way, issues like harassment, bullying or any kind of unpleasant situation inside the working place can be prevented.

Skype

Skype has been around for a while. It is one of those apps that has continued to reinvent itself over the years. Nowadays, it is widely used in business communication to send texts, voice messages and to make video calls and phone calls. One of its most appealing features is that it can be used in pretty much any smart device.

It offers instant messaging, which allows team members to communicate while avoiding long waiting periods. Also, as it is an “old” app, many people know how to use it; therefore, its interface becomes intuitive and easy to access.

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The early days of the Android Operative System

Image courtesy of nekoroid at Flickr.com

In the present days, almost everybody now gives the smartphones for granted. A person that was born in the 90s will tell you that he or she has vague memories of what internet used to be or what mobile phones used to be. For people born in 2000, the mobile phones and old school internet is a thing of the past, it is a vintage topic or something you study in the history books.

The most common operating systems are the IOS, the one belonging to Apple and all its devices; and the Android OS, which is mostly known for being the top player with Apple in the technology industry.

But what do we know about these operative systems? Well, for Apple it has been a nice ride due to the legacy and soul that Steve Jobs put into it. But, what about Android? Is there a movie about it? Do we know their story? To refresh your memory, Don Burns has taken a look at the early days of the Android OS and how it all started.

Andy Rubin and the Danger software company

Way before the Android OS even existed, a man called Andy Rubin, who had worked for Apple, had a mobile software company called Danger. They had a product called the Hiptop, which was a very trendy smartphone that could be used horizontally almost like a mini computer, with a software that enabled the users to have internet browsing, instant messaging and emailing all in one small place. Rubin was intelligent and partnered up with T-Mobile and changed the phone's name to Sidekick and it was a cult hit among young adults.

Rubin also changed the rules of the business, with a model that was at the forefront of the mobile business of the time: they shared revenues with T-Mobile and sold the hardware very cheap, but that enabled them to create a market that could be at the same level as the ones Blackberry and Microsoft had within the smartphone industry.

It was the early 2000s and now you could see Larry Page and Sergey Brin using the Sidekicks phones. Then, in a sudden business move, the board of directors at Danger voted to replace Andy Rubin. For him, it was no problem. He was disappointed, but his mind couldn’t stay still, so he started working to create a platform that each and every software designer could access. He called it Android Inc.

Android Inc didn’t even have a product for two straight years, and Rubin had to put up his own money during all this time. The idea was to create the next generation of smartphone software and they used an open source to get the ideas from Danger and placed all their efforts on the best web-connected experience and on establishing an environment for developers to have it easy. It was the year 2005, and this had investors making a line to invest in the company after they heard the sales pitch.

Remember Larry Page and Sergey Brin? From google? They also needed a platform where they could place their search engine in everybody's hands. They were looking for a smartphone company that could compete with Microsoft and Blackberry and they wanted Google to be on as many smartphones as possible. The Android platform gave them that opportunity and by the end of 2005, Rubin was already working on completing his vision.

After this, all the parties involved understood that they needed to have hardware as well. Google had a partner called HTC, not so popular in the United States at the moment, and had a couple of prototypes: The Sooner and the G1.

Image courtesy of John Karakatsanis at Flickr.com

For HTC headquarters in Europe, this software product was a new thing and they had strong doubts about it. They just thought that the transition or the exit from the Windows Mobile-based phones they had to this operative system was too much. On top of that Microsoft and Google weren't the best of buddies. At that moment HTC was taking a huge risk investing in this new product that promised to revolutionize the whole mobile industry and it wasn’t until the CEO Peter Chou, who was a good friend of  Andy Rubin, talked to Andy and got very excited about a platform that could “put the Internet into people's pockets."

It was the year 2007, and the iPhone influence in the industry was that of touchscreens, big data, and high prices. Many people dismissed the iPhone and did not pay attention to it, but Google seemed to privately admire it and publicly just not make any fuss. As one engineer said “As a consumer, I was blown away. I wanted one immediately. But as a Google engineer, I thought 'We're going to have to start over”.

These are the early years of the Android OS. On a next article, we will look at some of their early products that some people may not even remember.

Be sure to also read this post about that poses the question: Is iPhone still the best phone out there?

[don-burns-blog]

A lesson in history: why internal communications ended up being vital for companies

Why do companies seem to spend their resources much more on external interactions and PR than on internal affairs? Well, history has shown that organizations tend to spend as much as they need on making a name for themselves both locally and globally. Such trend seems to still linger in today’s businesses, but the question now is: why do business owners disregard, to some extent, the importance of also investing in internal communications within their businesses? 

Don Burns has previously addressed the intricacies and the historical development of communications, which serves as the perfect starting point to mention how, after decades of trial and error, companies that realized the magnificence of assessing what is said within their own walls, ended up discovering at least three important and vital aspects of communication from an internal standpoint.

According to what was previously considered as effective in terms of communications within the corporate realm, an external communication strategy used to be no less than vital to succeed, as it was —and seems to be— the only way to develop a name globally. Nonetheless, focusing solely on this aspects leaves the other side of the equation blank: what about communications internally? 

Thankfully, and after the emergence of the digital era and the development of different internal communications tools, companies started to pay special attention to this issue, which helped them find that a consistent, coherent internal communications strategy was crucial to align employees and collaborators with the company’s goals, procedures, and corporate culture. 

Nevertheless, even after the realization of these facts, the vast majority of companies seem to be reluctant to budget enough and invest on developing their internal comms. And surely the historical misconception of the development of the so-called status quo is to blame.

Sure, not providing customers with what they desire is detrimental to any business; however, not empowering the people who are responsible for delivering these goods, these services and the subsequent support is even worse. Providing collaborators and employees with the right communication tools will enable them to ensure the required levels of customer satisfaction. Thus, and after taking a look at the point where communications within the corporate realm gained further importance, here are three lessons in regard to why developing internal communications is as important as trying to make a name globally:

Customer Satisfaction

Adopting a whole new internal communications culture will result in customer satisfaction. Every member of the team needs to be aware of how to proceed when it comes to addressing a prospect and, more importantly, to direct them through the sales funnel.

In this sense, collaborators also need to be aware of how to proceed when it comes to facing different unfortunate events such as negative PR or pejorative reviews. Clearly, outlining and, moreover, successfully communicating these strategies ensures the team avoids being caught off guard during these events.

And last but not least, it is always good to be prepared for the usage of social media tools: these can lead to highly valuable prospects or the entire opposite.

Collaborator satisfaction

Given the pace at which today’s juncture is unfolding makes the process of keeping employees motivated and engaged a daunting challenge. Thus, depending on how well companies and businesses, in general, are able to communicate their vision, goals, internal purposes and corporate culture, the degree to which a team stays engaged will vary. As depicted, internal communications, when carried out properly, allow employees to stay happy, committed, engaged and, above all, in sync with what the company or the business wishes to accomplish.

The above can also be broken into different aspects: when companies are able to convey what is expected of their collaborators, the likelihood of them reaching the goals is much higher. Besides, feedback will flow in a more transparent, honest way, thusly improving the way managers and employees work together. In this line, the range of options for growth is positively affected for not only there will be an improved and friendlier collaborative working environment, but also a culture of listening to each other.

Featured Image courtesy of Startup Stock Photos at Pexels.com

Better performance

Considering what has been said above, it is clear that capitalizing on the positive effects of developing internal communications results in an increase of the overall efficiency within businesses. The most valuable lesson here is: happy employees secure happy customers. The snowball effect depends on creating and establishing the proper environment both internally and externally, which, in turn, ensures satisfied clients, higher levels of brand awareness, client retention and, last but not least, revenue. Building a successful business under today’s circumstances requires a thorough analysis of how companies have addressed their communications strategies. It is now understandable that solely focusing on the external part leaves the other side, perhaps as important as the outer field, unbalanced.

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Social Networks that communicate doctors

Featured Image courtesy of Negative Space at Pexels.com

Nowadays doctors are even busier and have even more paperwork to do at their offices and houses. Patients are demanding more from their doctors and clinics and hospitals are a bit more careful when it comes to paperwork. 

Understanding that doctors are superheroes in some cases, they also need to have their free time to get prepared, get new information, just relax a couple of hours or in this case talk to their colleagues to validate information, to share images or to get second opinions if you work in a remote location and there aren’t any doctors near you.

Doctors can easily lose contact with the “outer” world if they are not constantly updating their information or communicating with colleagues or even patients. It doesn’t seem difficult for a doctor to communicate with others in this era of open communication and networks some may argue. Others may say that it is very difficult to get in touch with your doctor or physician even though there are so many channels to do so.

With this in mind, Don Burns took some time to take a look at some of the social networks that doctors use to communicate their ideas, questions, and doubts to colleagues around the world. Let’s take a look at just a few of them.

Sermo

This site can be considered one of the most visited sites by doctors around the world. Their idea is to connect verified and credentialed physicians around the world so they can ask anything they want and get feedback from doctors without worrying about problems with the hospitals or their direct bosses. They want to revolutionize medicine by giving it a real world touch and having a place where doctors can find support, opinions, help from other doctors, valid and very helpful insights and many more information to continue updated in their field.  They also have a very big community to crowdsource ideas and solutions to medical issues among doctors.  

Figure1

Have you ever been to a doctor´s reading of an X-ray? Remember that time you had to stare at the X-ray and you had no idea what it was about?. Do you remember there was that other time that the doctor had to call another doctor to get a second opinion on your X-ray? Well, in certain parts of the world, especially in remote locations the thing works exactly the same. Doctors need to take second opinions on your images and it is very difficult for them. 

Luckily Figure 1 exists. This social network helps doctors and healthcare providers from around the entire world connect with each other and share information on patients imaging results such as X-ray, MRIs, and many others. In this social network, doctors can upload their images and receive second and many more opinions on the image. Also, doctors can compare images so they can get a better view of the aliment.  And as mentioned before, this tool really helps doctors in remote places get their second opinions and treat rare disorders in patients.

Student Doctors Network

This social network is a non-profit organization that focuses on the young adults who are starting a career in medicine. They give the students the necessary resources so they can have a wide scope of the career and they can get all the information they need from one place. The website started back in the year 1999 when the internet was not yet a big thing and they are still one of the leading websites for medicine students. The groups were founded by medical students and residents and they are fully committed to providing assistance to all the young ones that are entering the career or that are in the middle of their career or even when they become interns. Their group grew so big because their membership is totally free and now they have thousands of pre-health, health professional students and practicing doctors both in Canada and inside the United States.

The SDN also has an educational mission which is to help all the Med students pass the phases of this very hard and heavy career. Sometimes students have a difficult time taking their knowledge to practice and here is where SDN comes into play to help them have that transition and get the best out of it to become very good doctors.

Other very amazing feature of this website is that members start very early in their careers and still are active members of the community even though they have achieved success and are now doctors in many fields. With this, doctors can answer almost about any question a student can have since they have been in the same spot before and can relate to the problem the student is having. This gives students the much-needed self-confidence to become doctors and to be an active part of the medicine world.

Be sure to also read this post about some of the best apps to connect teachers and parents

[don-burns-blog]

Introducing Layer: A Communication Ecosystem

The digital era brought along the possibility of making real the unthinkable. This premise seems to acquire substrate for its foundation especially within the communications industry: as of the emergence of the fourth industrial revolution and the eventualities that helped consolidate today’s digital landscape, messaging and communication apps have proliferated at a staggering pace. In fact, these systems have been recently valued in near $20 billion; however, such diverse and varied supply entails a massive downside: each new app or service ends up becoming a major pain for users, as it ultimately becomes a new channel they have got to master and manage.

People are so fond of WhatsApp, yet some other people seem to lean towards using Facebook Messenger; other prefer using Snapchat while their peers have already gotten accustomed to iMessage: a simple conversation has gotten all tangled up between the intricacies of each new channel or app.

Looking for common ground

As Donald Burns has already mentioned, the history and subsequent development of communication is no less than motley and complex; however, a startup that realized the differences —and the issues around them— between each new channel is now striving to find a common standard. In 2013, a new startup by the name of Layer launched with the goal of developing and creating the aforementioned common standard: an entirely new messaging protocol that would let any foreign app to communicate with another. In fact, that was the mere continuation of an old dream they had already developed during the eclosion of the instant messaging era with the creation of Jabber.

Nevertheless, when it comes to imagining the perfect world in mobile messaging, such scenario is still a utopia; however, Layer has already signed up 1,500 customers during their beta phase. Their sales pitch was quite simple: they asserted that any app could add messaging with just ten lines of code. 

For those small businesses and ventures that are not yet functional, Layer is free, but for larger clients, Layer does charge a fee —and those clients include famous leading apps in the dating industry, gaming industry, and sports industry, all of which add to their base more than a million users on a monthly basis.

But Layer seems to be intended for smaller teams —this does not mean, however, that they overlook bigger ones—: they try to make it much easier for the smaller teams to get started using the app, allowing them to create a much more beneficial and attractive experience for their users so that they can become a massive success down the road.

Why helping small startups seems to be quite an awesome technique for getting new customers

Layer is rapidly becoming highly valued amongst the entrepreneurial community. The offer seems to have won a tremendous praise for accelerating the time to get from a mere idea to reality, in fact, the vast majority of customers highlight the speed at which their experiences and ideas became something tangible. Some have managed to get from paper to functional products in about two weeks. This, otherwise, would have taken up to six months, considering that most startups lack the financial budget in order for them to hire a messaging expert.

But, as some other companies have asserted, Layer also entails several downsides: the major and biggest complaint from those customers who are actively trying to incorporate and use Layer is that they are not aware of how to create the interaction around the messages; it is definitely something worth highlighting —the fact of adding messages to an app—, but it also seems to be quite nagging due to the existence of bugs and errors.

Featured Image courtesy of Pixabay at Pexels.com

Bringing different apps together

The whole idea behind Layer is to become the substrate where an app ecosystem can develop itself. Layer makes it easy for small businesses and companies, irrespective of their nature or size, in general to add messaging capabilities to their iOS, Android and other web products —current customers include Trunk Club, Staples, and Udacity. Actually, the company just partnered with Microsoft to promote and provide messaging in the official application, with a further development: instant translation. 

Throughout the year, Layer has managed to raise $15 million in series B funding and it is currently acquiring another startup named Cola. Cola, in the meantime, managed to launch a text-messaging app last year with different interactive capabilities like calendar and to-do lists. Layer’s interest in Cola seems to resonate behind the idea of integrating those additional capabilities into their platform. As for the company’s recent (new) funding, it was led by Greycroft Partners and a sheer array of different ventures, including Microsoft’s, Salesforce’s, amongst others.

Layer’s CEO said that the app will continue to build more integrations, or at least that would be its main focus; they will also continue improving its open source user interface framework and developing additional technologies in areas like AI (Artificial Intelligence) and machine learning.

[don-burns-blog]

Best apps to connect teachers and parents

Too often we are very worried about our children´s progress at school and how their life inside school walls is. The only way to know this is to hear it from teachers directly. In the past, unless your son or daughter were not so good students or had discipline issues, you had to wait 3 months to get all the information on school progress and grade reports. Not so often children lie about their grades or simply forget or just don’t mind going around without telling their parents what is really happening at school.

Well, this is a thing of the past with the following apps you are going to read about. Don Burns took the time to research a bit about which apps are the best ones to keep parents and teachers in touch with each other and here is a small list of them so you can start using them with teachers and children alike.

BuzzMob

This tool allows teachers and parents to connect within a network that needs an authorization so updates can be made. It can work as Twitter or Facebook on the update side so teachers can do it from their phones or any computer. The idea is to focus on people and unite the team: teachers, parents, and students. They also try to make everything simpler for teachers and give them the perfect tool to help inspire their students.

Collaborize Classroom

Collaborize Classroom is a free tool where teachers can design and hand out topic based discussions to anyone involved in the app.  There is a URL per lesson that every teacher can design as they want and share it via any social network or mail service they want. For example, a French teacher at Bella Vista High School in Fair Oaks, CA,  uses this platform to take discussions outside of the classroom, to communicate student progress with both students and teachers and to engage students in a more complete language education

TeacherKit

This is the perfect app for teachers and for them not to lose track of almost anything. This app allows teachers to take attendance, set up profiles about students with all their information and needs and track grades. What really makes this app a hit is that teachers can email parent directly from the app without having to go to their mail and do it through there.  If a teacher has multiple classes, which they always do, this app can manage all the classes with easy ways to edit and delete the class. The idea of the app is to make the administration of teaching easier and let the teachers focus on what they really know how to do which is teaching.

ClassDoJo

This app already has 35 million users around the world. In fact, 50% of schools in the United States use this app to make communication between parents and teachers a lot easier. It has the usual features such as capturing data on behavior, grades and progress and it allows the teacher to share this information with both parents and administrators.  This app is the closest thing parents can get to knowing what is really happening at school with their children and if their children are “on task”.

Edmodo

It is considered a teaching Facebook but it works beyond just a social network. Here parents, students, and teachers can collaborate with photos and reminders about special events or assignments.  They also have an agreement with the Cambridge University in order to teach GCSE to students in summer and they are expanding to the UK by helping out with the curriculums to design a “standard-aligned content”. With this strategy, all the information found in the Cambridge University Press will be open to parents, teachers, and students.

Image courtesy of Wesley Fryer at Flickr.com

Pupil Asset

Pupil Asset has already been in the market for some while. They have come up with a new product for parents called “Pupil Asset Parents”. In this product parents can check attendance on their children, they can see how they are behaving, they can see their reports no matter how old the reports are and they can see how their children are doing in the core subjects. With this app, all the information that the teachers need to give parents is already there and the meeting can be more about exploring options, setting goals and strategies to reach such goals and to focus on important issues that need to be tackled. A little bonus teachers and parents have with this app is that they are in control of everything and do not have to wait for a team to decide on their actions and that the app is very user-friendly for every teacher and parent out there.  

Be sure to also read this post about some of the most significant communication apps using geolocation

[don-burns-blog]

Hater: going beyond regular similarities

Hate politics? Think pop music is highly overrated? Can’t stand Dj Khaled for no particular reason? Well, sometimes people hate things. Actually, all humans do. But the positive thing about hate is that it entails the capability of bringing people together: bonding over the things people hate is actually more powerful than bonding over clichéd similarities. And yes: it has already been proven by plenty of studies. Don Burns explored in a previous post the scope of new ways of communication through dating apps like Tinder —dating is perhaps the most demanding activity in terms of communication: it requires human capabilities, creativity, inventiveness, and last but not least an interface through which people can get to meet each other—. Unlike Tinder, that matches people according to their looks and their interests, Hater can help users find matches based on those things they resent and detest (which is awesome). An app that connects people and, moreover, that enables them to talk about the things they find repulsive is definitely a huge goal in terms of addressing the politically incorrect.

Although it was initially conceived as joke, according to its CEO, Brendal Alper, the idea ended up being materialized a year after its initial conception. The idea behind the app focuses on highlighting what people dislike: it is not just a dating app trying to expose information about its users and their uncanny personalities as a mean of standing out amongst the repetitive plethora of dating apps. As a matter of fact, dating apps started to realize that relying on photo-driven interests was not enough, and some of them are starting to incorporate attractive features as Q&A and other communicative interfaces that require users to answer questions or mention something about them.

Hater, on the other hand, starts by not displaying a sheer array of photos but a series of topics for other parties to weigh in on and start engaging together. There are up to 3,000 different topics available in the app —which is continuously being updated with more topics—: people start swiping on the topics in order to like, dislike, hate or love them, depending on how they feel about that specific topic. The items people dislike or hate provide the app’s algorithm with a more accurate version of the user.

Some topics are definitely a highly legit version of the users and define, to a larger extent, their personality: like whether they hate the Super Bowl despite being American; or the fact that sometimes people must pay for extra guacamole. The list is motley and variegated and includes scenarios where people would instantly click on hate right away, like whether they love airplane seats or the Kardashians.

Some questions or topics are seemingly just too broad, while others require more nuanced reactions: that is perhaps the app’s first “flaw”; however, that is what has enabled users to engage and start communicating. In order to find whether someone passionately hates the same things other users hate, some engagement is required.

Image courtesy of rawpixel.com at Pexels.com

Hater, in fact, took notice about the repetitive nature of older dating apps, which is why its developers strive to expand the scope beyond just dating: Hater strives to offer a more social, less meeting strangers, experience so that people can grow and interact with common soil. Growing organically is something that other apps seem to have disregarded: they provide users with the same activities, and it is not a secret that users resort to them for the very same reason: being there turns out to be unbelievably pleasant and enjoyable; however, in the real work, such interactions do not exist and do not work like that. Hater is based on interactions, not fake promises or virtual relationships. The impact of communication has never been more evident in this type of developments; an app that strives to bring people together to interact after discovering they allegedly hate and dislike the same things is the best example of the transition from virtual to real.

Although today the app does not feature its whole scope —it is still focused on analyzing whether the algorithm used for finding matches proves to be accurate—, soon it will enable people to transcend the virtual realm: today, the app enable people to DM their matches and even play games. The app uses the user’s Facebook profile in order to compile basic information such as the user’s name, age, residence and, obviously, collect photos.

After being viralized, Hater has faced thousands of downloads and has grown exponentially, which is why the developers are working day and night to take the next step towards differentiation. CEO Alper is aware of the challenge that lies ahead, which is why he has been partnering and teaming up with other companies in order to provide Hater with more social features.

[don-burns-blog]

Tinder and its benefits for people and relationships

Many years ago Tinder was an app that was both controversial and useful for many people. Either you loved it or you hated it. Nowadays tinder has become one of the main sources for all types of people to socialize and meet new friends and couples. Myths and stories around the app have made it even more popular and even though some people still think it is only a sexual app, tinder has proved to be a total success in connecting people.

Let’s take a look at some of its benefits and how it can help many people get in touch with other in this world where we are more disconnected than ever.

One of the funniest benefits it has, and even though it looks strange, is that it can help people overcome break-ups and former relationships. How? Well, we are all familiar with that moment where you want to write your ex-boyfriend or ex-girlfriend and saying something to catch his or her attention. Tinder gives you a space where you can text people and not feel annoying at all. Or it gives you the chance to just spend a while swiping left or right and have fun looking at people´s pictures and profiles.

Image courtesy of Denis Bocquet at Flickr.com

Do you have problems with your ego? Tinder can make your ego even bigger and better. It is simple. When you make a match with another person you feel accepted and good about yourself. You could be having a very bad day or maybe feeling down because you are not getting what you want. Tinder can be that app that can help you smile a little bit after a hard day. If you apply for Tinder with a payment plan, you can actually contact people you don’t know and get very positive feedback.

The third benefit is a very well-known benefit for men that are looking to reach out to people and start a conversation. Have you noticed how difficult it is to approach someone you don’t know? Even for women nowadays it is a difficult thing just to approach that person you like and break the ice. Well, with Tinder, the ice is broken for you and you don’t have to spend ages thinking about what to say to that person you really like.

The fourth benefit is that it opens up your social circle. Sometimes we are so focused on our job relations or our own friends that we forget there is a whole new world out there. Even in school or university, people and youngsters, in general, get tired of having the same things to do and the same places to go to with the same people all the time. Tinder gives you the opportunity to meet people and if it does not work out as a relationship or there is no chemistry whatsoever, you can still be friends and be friends of their friends and in that way expand your social network.

Rejection is something we have to go through in almost every stage of our lives. Everybody knows that rejection hurts and makes you feel uncomfortable. The idea is not to avoid rejection in a complete way, but not to have it so often. Rejection is part of our lives, in our jobs, family, and relationships. If a person really does not handle well rejection from other people, the Tinder app is a very good way of avoiding such feeling.  In this way, the app is very appealing to women because even though women are empowered and everybody has the same rights, they are still waiting for that crush to ask them out. Women benefit the most from this part as they can choose who to talk to and they don’t feel they are rejecting anybody and making people feel bad at the same time. For men, well, rejection does not come so straightforward and it is easy t manage and continue as if nothing had happened.  

Image courtesy of Chris Goldberg at Flickr.com

A very good benefit of Tinder and this is the sixth benefit in our list is that the app acknowledges the LGBT community. Although many people in the LGTB community have complained that the app still matches them with the opposite sex, they still find a place where they can find people with their same likes and dislikes and they are not afraid of being pointed out or discriminated. We tend to think that this is not an issue anymore in the world, but figures and studies tell us the contrary. The LGTB community benefits in a big way as they can have access to their community and open their network as they wish.  

Tinder is this type of app that had a big controversy at the beginning but it has been slowly getting into people´s lives and dynamics. And let’s be honest, it is even fun to use it and see other people´s profiles.  No harm done and if you just want to close your account you can do so with no consequences whatsoever.

Be sure to also read this post about these apps that use geolocation

[don-burns-blog]

Some of the most significant communication apps using geolocation

Day by day, the world is changing in different aspects, but one of the most important is the way how we are communicating each other. Currently, our world turns around technology and the social networks, where people not only have contact with their friends and parents but also understand and see what is happening on our planet and its nations. However, these systems are making that the manner how we interact with our peers be different more and more, letting people have contact with other persons around the world and choosing how to communicate with them.

Since several decades, the social networks have been evolving, creating and promoting new ways to relate humans to each other. As we mentioned, this revolution lets people talk and communicate with others anywhere and anytime, and one of the most important elements to do it is geolocation. In this article, we will talk about this concept, show some of the most important communication apps in the market that are working with this kind of system and how they are allowing people to be in touch.

Geolocation

In simple words, geolocation is the way how we can determine the geographic location of a particular object (person, animal, vehicle, building, etc.). In technology terms, the geolocation is used to know and ubicate a cell phone, computer, tablet or another device. It is important to say that geolocation can work in real time, letting people, systems or applications to see in the exact moment where something is and how it moves.

Today, almost every app uses geolocation elements, letting them connect with other people using the same app or with common interests. This is possible, thanks to the GPS that almost every smartphone has installed. In addition, these systems are not only used to join people but also for doing web analytics, geo marketing, geotargeting, geocoding, among other uses.

Understanding what geolocation is, then we can talk about some of the most used and recognized apps in the market using geolocation to let people communicate and have contact no matter where they are located and how it is connected.

Tinder

Image courtesy of Denis Bocquet at Flickr.com

It is considered one of the most revolutionary social applications in the last decade, due to the way how it lets people communicate. This app was launched in 2012 by Sean Rad, Jonathan Badeen, Justin Mateen, Ramon Denia, Joe Munoz, Dinesh Moorjani, Chris Gylczynski, and Whitney Wolfe in California. Tinder is not only considered a very innovative app, but also one of the most important dating application in the world.

Basically, Tinder lets people communicate if they have common interests and are near geolocated. In other words, Tinder is a dating application that lets two or more users have contact if they have similar interests, which are determined by their Facebook and Spotify profile.

Currently, Tinder uses more than 30 languages and connects more than 60 million people around the world. For 2016, this app was used in 45% by persons between 25 and 34 years old, followed by persons between 16 and 24 years old (38%). Today, Tinder is evaluated in almost $1.4 billion dollars and works in iOS and Android systems.

Waze

Image courtesy of René C. Nielsen at Flickr.com

This app was developed in 2008 by Uri Levine, Ehud Shabtai and Amir Shinar in Israel under the name of Linqmap, and years later was named as Waze. Presently, it is considered the first traffic social mobile application, letting geolocated users communicate about the traffic status and contact other drivers around the city where they are located.

In 2013, Waze was acquired by Google for almost $1 billion dollars and is supported for all the recognized mobile operative systems like iOS, Android, Windows Phone 8, BlackBerry OS, Symbian and Windows Mobile. Currently, Waze communicates users from different nations in every continent, like the United States, Canada, Germany, France, Italy, Japan, Australia, Colombia, Mexico, South Africa and much more.

Foursquare

It was developed in 2009 by Dennis Crowley y Naveen Selvadurai and lets people share and communicate their location with their friends on the social networks. This application allows their users to mark specific places, earning points for sharing and finding new places around the world.

Foursquare uses the GPS installed in every smartphone, letting users find and communicate their exact location through the social networks they have. Currently, this app is supported by different operative systems like iOS, Android, Symbian, Blackberry, Windows Phone, Java, Windows 8 and Windows 10. In addition, Foursquare is traduced in more than 10 languages and connects people in every continent on the planet.

These three applications show how technology is letting people in different countries to communicate and share different things thanks to their localization. In addition, these apps are constantly evolving, giving to their current and new users innovative ways to contact with people and join with them.

Related: The Most Awesome Communication Devices Before The iPhone by Don Burns

[don-burns-blog]

How Easy It Is To Make Apps Today

The phrase “there is an app for that” stopped being more than just a funny quip and it became quite a factual reality. I would add the to that expression the fact that if there isn’t an app for that, you can just go ahead and make one easily nowadays. From the earliest beginnings of the age of smartphones, apps came along and flooded the virtual market in what seems like every single category out there. Apps are answers to needs that sometimes we didn't even know we had until we are shown this addition to our device that makes it even more useful than it already is. Everything from social networks to gaming, news, entertainment, sports and your daily productivity can be greatly enhanced with the right app, and that is what makes them so popular. Their novelty spreads like wildfire and through websites, online forums, the news and word of mouth they get around and become a topic of conversation amongst people. A good app can become a staple item of every mobile device out there as you will be hard pressed to a cellphone without at least Whatsapp, Facebook, and Waze installed.

Apps are also extremely important for a business as well because they are a great way to promote customer loyalty as they allow you to cultivate a unique connection with your clients. Apps also strengthen your brand and enhance your visibility in the market. You can offer promotions, events, and opportunities to keep clients engaged. People spend way too much time on their phones and if you are not capitalizing on that opportunity, then you are really missing out.

Apps have become a standard component of any successful business, something to be expected considering all the benefits they bring to the organization and to the customers and the way they are able to interact with the brand.

So how do you go about creating an app? It may seem like a very intimidating endeavor at first but with a little help from all the resources available online and some dedication, you can stop looking at hiring an expert and you can go ahead and just make the app yourself.

Image courtesy of Bram.Koster at Flickr.com

The first thing you need to do is learn how the whole app market works. In this moment, Google Play and the iOS App Store are the most important virtual markets out there where people go and showcase their apps and make them readily available for customers to download. Even if you want to just make an app for your personal use, signing up as a developer is a great idea because not only gives you access to the market to sell the product in case you decide to do so, but also you get access to a number of tools that can help you in the process of development, design, and distribution of your app. The iOS App Store has a fee of $99 a year while Google Play gives you access to the Developer Console for just $25.

The next obvious step is the process of creating the app. Your ability to code plays a big role on this step, as complex apps require you to have vast programing knowledge. However, there are many tools out there that you can use to build simple apps. These tools take processes that have already been worked out and make them available for you to put together and integrate in order to create your own concoctions.

These are some of the most popular app makers out there and as you can see, they are all geared towards a different type of customer.

Appy Pie

Appy Pie is a great solution for small businesses, mainly because on top of being extremely easy to use and requiring no coding knowledge in order to be able to produce a clean and professional looking app, it also integrates with Google Analytics quite seamlessly, something that gives you a lot of information about who and how they are using your app. That information is great to have to make adjustments and evaluate if your app is really doing what it was designed to do.

BuildFire

BuildFire is great for beginners who have no knowledge of building apps but want to jump right onto creating something that feels and look right. It is very easy to customize the appearance of the app from its simple menu and it offers a large selection of widgets that easily adapt to what you are looking for. This is a great place to start.

Shopgate

Shopgate is great for online businesses who want to make their store into a mobile app in a website in just a few minutes. It is extremely easy to use and it works with all the popular e-commerce platforms out there.

For more great articles about mobile technology check out our blog at Don Burn’s Tumblr and stayed tuned for more upcoming articles about taking control and creating your own apps.

[don-burns-blog]

Where Is Mobile Gaming Going Next In The World Of The Telecoms.

Ever since the early beginnings of mobile communication technology and portable handheld devices, there have been some form of rudimentary entertainment, even if we didn't yet call them mobile gaming. The game Snake often gets credited as being the first one of its kind, but that is not exactly accurate. Snake is simply the most popular game that we remember from those times since it made its debut in 1997 on the Nokia 6610, but even before that we had Tetris and some other simple games that care installed by default on our cell phones, so users didn't really have the possibility of downloading or purchasing additional content or new games to add to their repertoire. With the creation of the Wireless Application Protocol (WAP) people started to wonders how to make use of this technology, but due to the popularity of handheld gaming devices like the Gameboy, the industry wasn't really making a lot of advances in the areas of combining portable gaming with communication technologies. Today we want to take a look at the close relationship gaming and staying connected are harnessing, here at  Don Burns Tumblr.

Image courtesy of Vitor Sá at Flickr.com

The N-Gage was probably the strongest contender to the Gameboy back then, and while we do admire Nokia’s forward thinking and innovative attempt to dethrone the gaming giant, Nintendo was not even fazed by the unsuccessful attempt to lure players away from their popular console. It is safe to assume that the public was not ready yet to trust both activities to just one device and even after several changes to the buttons and overall design of the device, the N-Gage was discontinued just three years after its release.

The iPhone hitting the market in 2007 was one of the most important milestones in the history of mobile gaming as the App Store was swift to offer a wide selection of games readily available for new smartphone users. The rapid influx of smartphone devices and the creations of virtual stores for apps helped mobile gaming develop very quickly for a few different reasons.

First of all, you have these new devices with processors powerful enough to deliver a gaming experience that is comparable to gaming-dedicated consoles like the Gameboy and the PSP. This was something that had previously discouraged hard-core gamers from looking at their cell phone as an alternative to getting an immersive gaming experience in one device. Along with that, you also have components like high-definition screens, accelerometers, gyroscopes, and touch screens that give players an new way to interact with their devices and open up a whole new world of possibilities in gaming.

One of the most important developments we saw at this time, was the fact that gaming opened up to casual players, experts and everything in between. Games like Angry Birds changed our perspective in gaming and help us see the potential our devices had to bring us, even more, alternatives and choices of entertainment.

Image courtesy of Bert Heymans at Flickr.com

The creation of an app market where virtually anyone could become a developer and make money out of their creation was another very important factor that helped mobile gaming open up new possibilities. New games stopped being controlled by large publishing companies and a market for independent creators opened up, something that surprised everyone because it was actually lucrative for the developers and great for gamers who now had so many places to choose from that it was almost overwhelming.

Mobile gaming has become in a way, a manner in which the device has stopped being important and the emphasis is being given to the content being created. New games have a tendency to become available for everyone, regardless of the brand of smartphone you have or the operative system it runs.

Currently, mobile gaming has been advancing in the world of competitive circles and 3D technology. Competitive gaming is being taken seriously with a lot more coverage given to international events that showcase competitions of the most popular games today, and gamers themselves are being treated no differently than professional athletes. Game developers have also started investing a lot into making realistic massive online worlds for players to explore on their smartphones. Just last year we all learned about Pokemon Go, a game that has found a way to crudely interact with the world around us while bringing gamers of all ages together into an app that allows you to catch the little avatars and navigate the streets in real time.

The implementation of augmented reality into games has opened up the floodgates for developers who are using their imagination to go beyond virtual reality games and actually creating applications that can interact with the environment and overlay additional information into the device using the camera and microphone. The past couple of years have been great for the gaming industry and it seems like communicating and being entertained and two aspects of our daily life that will not be separated anytime soon.

[don-burns-blog]

Is Virtual Reality Useful For More Than Just Gaming Technology

Image Courtesy of Maurizio Pesce at Flickr.com

According to the Virtual Reality Society, VR is the term “used to describe a three-dimensional, computer-generated environment which can be explored and interacted with by a person. That person becomes part of this virtual world or is immersed within this environment and whilst there, is able to manipulate objects or perform a series of actions”. It makes sense that early implementation of Virtual Reality technologies was seen in entertainment before anywhere else, and even today we continue to witness tremendous advances in this field. Entertainment gets a lot more coverage than anything else and it is that flashy presentation of cutting edge technology what has made us so curious about Virtual Reality from its inception. Can Virtual Reality go beyond entertainment and amaze us with uses that we probably never imagined before?

Here at Don Burns’ Blog we have talked about Virtual Reality briefly before and mentioned some of the ways it is changing the world of telecommunications; today we want to take a look at some specific ways this amazing technology can be implemented in imaginative new ways.

Education is probably one of the areas with the highest potential for impact from the implementation of Virtual Reality applications and technology. The advantages of having students immersed in a three-dimensional environment they can interact with, as well as connected to each other, opens great possibilities in learning. Physical engagement with the learning environment does wonders for students with many different learning styles, something that enhances teaching and takes full advantages of the opportunities presented in training. Children today as particularly tech-savvy, so introducing them to highly technological environments like this can greatly intensify their learning capabilities.

From the comfort and safety of the classroom or even their own homes, users can travel to virtual locations and received contextualized lessons on history, geography, and science by visiting places that would otherwise be unreachable like the ancient pyramids of Egypt during their construction and the bottom of the Mariana Trench.

Geographical location is not the only advantage provided by virtual reality when it comes to learning. Virtual environments can give students the opportunity to interview influential personalities in history and science like Galileo, Amelia Earhart or Michelangelo. Another application could be the manipulation of expensive equipment that wouldn't be easily available physically or that it would be dangerous to operate in a classroom environment.

The world of medicine and healthcare is also being revolutionized in amazing ways by virtual reality application. At the earliest stages of training medical students, one can see the clear advantages of virtual environments like we already mentioned when we talked about education. In healthcare, we can see implementation in areas like training and simulation, phobia treatment and surgery.

Simulation can even begin with scenarios that allow people to interact with virtual patients from the moment they walk into a hospital in order to ensure proper procedures from all personal, included nurses, doctors, and interns. Virtual reality can also allow healthcare professionals use tools to diagnose patients without the need for invasive procedures.

Surgery is another big deal when it comes to virtual reality. This can start with training surgeons in extremely well controlled and responsive virtual environments, to perform difficult surgeries without having to risk anyone’s life and by gaining a unique insight into the procedure. Virtual robotic surgery is another important use of the technology in which a robotic device is controlled by a surgeon who can interact with a virtual reality environment and perform the procedure without even having to be in the room. This type of technology can help the best surgeons reach people who are across the world in areas where medical care is less effective and where infrastructure lacks the options needed.

Some universities and research centers have started using virtual reality to treat combat veterans with PTSD by immersing them gradually into controlled environments in order to help them deal with their anxiety and the sources of their trauma. This same type of treatment can also be used to treat phobias and even to help people manage chronic pain. Virtual reality has been shown to be beneficial when treating victims of strokes to improve muscular strength and fine motor skills.

Image Courtesy of Knight Center for Journalism in the Americas at Flickr.com

The arts and design are areas that have also been greatly affected by the implementation of virtual reality technologies. Artists can interact with creations in ways that we didn't even believe to be possible before. Designing anything from home appliances and buildings can be done in virtual environments in order to save large amounts of money and adopt safe practices in construction and utilization of new materials.

Virtual reality is truly the technology of the future and gaming is just one of the many things that it can help us enjoy in levels that were simply part of the imagination a few years back. The boundaries and limits seem to shift everyday, and new creations and uses do not cease to amaze us.

[don-burns-blog]

Is iPhone Still The Best Phone Out There?

2016 was an interesting year to say the least when it came to the battle of the smartphones. This is not news to anyone since we have heard the comparisons, seen the discussions and read the many Internet posts that defended one brand over the other one, many times over. What stands out about last year is the fact that we must agree on one thing, and that is that the competition is truly becoming fierce and the advantages of one device over its competitors are not as vast and clear as it once seemed.

Samsung’s phone, for example, are no longer trying to catch up to Apple in terms of innovating under their rules, but instead, they are trailblazing with amazing options that are making users switch and switch for good to their line up of new devices. The funny thing is that not even an exploding phone is stopping this manufacturer from staying on top of the race as the number one contender of a giant that once seemed untouchable.

Apple has a very interesting and challenging year ahead of them, as 2017 marks the 10th year anniversary of the iPhone, a device that has influenced pop culture and changes the way we see and interact with smartphones forever. Last year’s model, the iPhone 7 was received without much noise as the device was so similar to their last two releases, and in terms of appearance, it didn't seem to deliver much of anything to be excited about. It is very difficult to have users rush to get the newest version of your product when it is almost identical to the one they already have. This type of publicity made it harder for people to look at the new features such as the phone being waterproof and instead focus on the negative like the removal of the headphone jack.

Image courtesy of Nerds On Call at Flickr.com

The hardware is one of the places where the debate gets heated, but we must be fair and impartial when we compare devices in this category. iPhones used to be known for their sleek and beautiful designs and the fact that it was not just a phone, it was also the cutting edge in terms of beauty in engineering right at your fingertips. Well, some people disagree and rightly so, as the Samsung Galaxy S7 Edge does look and feel like a work of art, taking away beauty as something that used to be one of Apple’s advantages. With that being said, it is important to take a look at what is inside and realize that while the iPhone’s screen may not be as powerful in terms of quality, it has made some changes where it really matters. People will not notice a few more pixels of resolution but will be amazed by a wider gamut of color reproduction and that is where the secret of Apple lies; they tend to go for changes that may not look as good on paper, but will definitely be felt by the user. Fingerprint ID is a perfect example of that; not new technology by any means, but adding it to the home button was an intelligent touch that has now become pretty much the standard due to Apple’s innovative idea.

When it comes to apps, you have to accept that Apple has some advantages in this arena that have yet to be implemented in the Google Play Store. Most developers will launch for Apple first and some are even exclusive to the iPhone more so than when it comes to Android systems.

Updates are also something to consider, as iOS updates are regular and widely released for all models while Android devices still have to depend on their manufacturer and model to know when updates will be available for their operative system. Apple still provides software support and updates for models that are years old while Android software support tends to end much sooner.

Looking at the other side of the isle, we have to give it to Android when it comes to device choices. Are you a photographer or someone who needs a powerful camera on your phone? Where there is an option for you. Do you care more about a large screen and the ability to store large amounts of data using removable memory? There is a phone like that.

The case is, Android offers choices and you can use the same operative system in a large number of phones, so you can make your next purchase thinking about features and not simply hoping they cover the area you care about on this new model.

This year is going to be exciting for those of us who love technology, as some of the coolest gadgets are already here and in the case of Apple, they seem to have all of our attention waiting to see what they will unveil at their next launch.

If you want to take a look at some of the coolest phones coming out in 2017 check out our article at Don Burns Tumblr today.

[don-burns-blog]

The Best Phones Coming Out In 2017.

Image courtesy of Michael Newman at Flickr.com

Smartphone technology advances at an incredible pace every day. It feels that as we walked out of the store with the newest gadget released by one of the top companies in the market, they are already announcing the next wave of devices that does things that no other model before could do.

The case of smartphones is that they are no longer considered a luxury left to those who use their devices for business purposes; they are something that all of us use no matter what your profession is, your age or even your budget because there truly is a phone out there for everyone and within everybody’s reach. Here in Don Burn’s Tumblr we have talked about the smartphones that came before and how they rapidly evolved into the powerful machines we are used to carrying inside our pockets but quickly forgot about their humble beginnings. Today we want to take a deeper look into what is coming out next year in terms of mobile technology and how this is no longer a market dominated by just one company, but instead, we have some serious contenders with choices that expand upon the possibilities of what a smartphone can do.

Let us then take a look at some of the most interesting choices of smartphone devices coming out in 2017 and what these companies are bringing to the table with their mission of continuously changing the technological landscape of our world of communication.

Apple iPhone 8

The iPhone 8 is said to be coming out at a special time for Apple, as this year will mark the iPhone’s 10th year anniversary. People were definitely not impressed with the iPhone 7 as it was a relative minor upgrade to its predecessor. However, rumors say that this year Apple has a big surprise in store. Most speculation leads towards new materials being used for this year’s iPhone as some sources have revealed that the phone will have a body completely made of glass. The elimination of the home button is also most people expected in order to use more of the screen. Rumors also suggest the possibility of wireless charging and perhaps face recognition or an iris scanner.

Samsung Galaxy S8

After what happened last year with the Galaxy Note 7, Samsung is not going to pull any punches with their new phone said to come out in April of 2017. The rumors point to two possible phones being released, the Galaxy S8 and the S8 edge or S8 Plus because they will most likely differ in the size of their screens. The phone is expected to have a RAM memory of 6GB (perhaps 8GB) and possibly do away with the headphone jack to go with the superior USB-C for digital audio.

LG G6

With Samsung upping the stakes, LG has to bring it's A-game this year in order to compete with its main rival. The LG G6 is said to be a truly impressive smartphone. The video released by the company hints at a device with a bigger screen, more comfortable to use with one hand, waterproof and more resistant to drops. One of the most interesting things about the LG G6 is the possibility of introducing 4K resolution since the company wants to make the phone ready for VR applications this year.

HTC 11

The HTC 10 was a great phone that put the company once again the map with an excellent sleek design that included some interesting features. This year people expect them to come out with their new flagship device that many believe it will be called the HTC 11. Rumors right now are not very solid but some leaks have lead enthusiasts to believe that their next phone will most likely have a 5.5-inch screen, QHD display resolution, Qualcomm Snapdragon 838 processor, Quick Charge 4.0, 256GB storage, 12MP frontal camera and an 8MP “selfie” camera as well.

OnePlus 4

There is a lot of mystery behind this expected new phone, starting with its name. The number 4 is said to be of bad luck in China so there is the possibility that the company will go ahead and call it the OnePlus 5 instead. It is said the phone will come with the Snapdragon 835 processor, a Quad-HD display, 8GB of RAM, a 23 MP camera and 4,000mAh battery with Dash Charge. OnePlus phones are said to be “Flagship Killers” so this year’s model must really be an improvement in order to keep up.

Nokia Android

Image courtesy of Jon Russell at Flickr.com

Nokia used to be highly respected around the world for their quality phone but back in 2011 they decided to make Windows phones exclusively and most people believe that was their downfall. Earlier this month they announced the global launch of the Nokia 6, one of the first phones they are planning on making with Android operative system and the response of the public has been outstanding. The features of the phone are nothing great compared with the rest of this year’s contenders, but it shows great promise from a brand that used to own the world of cellphones and seems to be making a strong comeback.

[don-burns-blog]

The Most Awesome Communication Devices Before The iPhone.

Last year TIME magazine named Apple’s iPhone the most influential gadget of all times. Whether you love Apple products or not, it is undeniable that the iPhone transformed not only the way phones look today, but also the way we use them. Before the iPhone, phones looked so different from what we see nowadays, while today most phones are simply a black screen with a couple of buttons on the side to turn on the display and manipulate the volume. It would be safe to say that the iPhone set the standard on smartphone visual design and also a device that changes the way we interact with our phones. Before Apple’s smartphone, we used to think of this type of gadgets as something that only people who were in business would want to use. Early smartphones seemed more of a luxury item and not something that we could customize and personalize to our needs, whether you are a student, a parent, a designer or the CEO of an important company; the iPhone made sure everyone felt like it would be a wise investment to get one and that it was made thinking about them.

T-Mobile SideKick

Back in 2006, the SideKick was the hottest phone in America while Nokia and Ericsson were still Europe’s favorites. The SideKick featured a full QWERTY keyboard under a flip-screen and was a favorite amongst teenagers who began the revolution of text messaging. These types of phones are probably responsible for the great success that apps like Whatsapp that have become everyone’s favorite way of communicating over voice calls. The SideKick was cool and it became more than just a phone, as it was an accessory that could complement the user’s personality instead of simply a tool for communication.

Blackberry

Blackberries were incredibly popular during their peak and Blackberry messenger was also another great way to communicate, so much that even the App Store made applications available that could enable users to take advantage of BBM features. At some point it was said that 40% of smartphone users had a Blackberry, and there was a reason for this; Blackberries offered security that was unparalleled at the time and it could allow users to access their corporate email accounts from their phones, something that made them quite widespread with businesspeople of the moment.

Image courtesy of H.B. Kang at Flickr.com

Motorola Q

The Motorola Q was one of the most popular phones of its time because it brought everyone’s favorite operative system to our pockets. Before Windows Phones existed there was Windows Mobile, an operative system very similar to the old Windows we all used to know back in the late 90’s and that became quite popular around 2005 when the Motorola Q was around. The Q was one of the best phones when it came to the utilization of the Windows Mobile operative system and it enjoyed quite a bit of popularity back then.

Nokia N95

The Finnish company Nokia was probably the most successful firm in the mid-2000’s when it came to smartphones. The N95 was extremely ahead of its time and it gave users a lot in a small package. Even at a time when the iPhone was already making headlines and turning heads, the N95 had a lot more to offer with a camera with flash, video recording capabilities, GPS, Bluetooth file sharing, third-party applications available and 3.5G connectivity.

Sony Ericsson K750

The joint venture between Sony and Ericsson was known for their expertise in cameras, something that made the K750 one of the most iconic phones they made together. The phone had some great features and it felt like having many gadgets in one. It also had a memory card slot on the side; radio functions and it could play WAV/MP3/AAC audio files, and 3GP/MPEG-4 video files. One of the coolest features it had for the more intense enthusiast was the ability to be “modded” and converted to a more advanced version, the W800i.

Motorola RAZRV3

One of the most popular phones that ever hit the market and it seemed to be in everyone’s pocket back in 2004. This phone was the trademark of vanguard and success back then when we all fell in love with flipping it open. The RAZR was thin, stylish and elegant. It was a small phone with great features and a beautiful design. More than a phone it was a fashion product and it became available in many colors and a few more difficult to find limited editions.

Nokia 3310

A phone that has gained cult status due to its durability and it is still remembered today as one of the most successful phones ever with 126 million units sold worldwide. The 3310 is known by everyone as being indestructible and with a battery life that may make you forget it needs charging at all. The phone even became of the three “National Emojis” for Finland, the country where it was created.

Image courtesy of Simo M. at Flickr.com

For more great articles on communications, gadgets and the newest tools of technology, check out our blog at Don Burns’ Tumblr today.

[don-burns-blog]

The Best 10 Gadgets For Off Grid Communication

Image courtesy of ~zipporah~ at Flickr.com

Having a smartphone is something that already puts us in touch with the world anywhere we are. It is possible today to stream video, audio and to post instantly and let the whole world know our whereabouts, the food we are eating and the music we are listening to. But what happens when we lose signal? What if we go outside the range of our cellular network? Being disconnected from the world is not something we will always do on purpose, sometimes we go off grid without intending to and that can be stressful. Staying connected is a necessity we have today more than ever, even for those who choose to venture off the beaten path it may be imperative to stay connected to the world at least virtually.

Today in Don Burn’s Tumblr we want to take a look at some gadgets designed for those who want to adventure, disconnect from the physical world or take their work to faraway places but stay in touch with the vast worldwide telecom infrastructure. Here we have some of the best gadgets that make it possible to shorten distances in this ever-growing connected world.

goTenna Mesh

The goTenna Mesh is a nifty little device that turns your smartphone into a fully capable off grid communicator. The small unit allows you to communicate without using cell towers, Wi-Fi or satellites. You can send messages, share GPS locations and have a 1-to-1, group conversations or broadcast to other devices located several miles away. One of the coolest features of the goTenna Mesh is the ability to download maps so you can have GPS navigation offline, so even without any cell service you can see your exact location at all times.

Image courtesy of DopiesLife.com at Flickr.com

JAQ Charger

The JAQ Charger is an off-grid charging device that uses a fuel cell powered by salt water to charge your electronics. The charger uses a one-time use credit card sized cartridge that can charge your phone once before being replaced. The company is currently looking for a way to make their device even more environmentally friendly by providing users a way to exchange their used fuel cells for new ones at a lower cost.

DryGuy Warm ‘n’ Charge

A very simple yet effective idea that charges your phone while allowing you to set a temperature to keep your hands warm. This small device combines the comfort of a hand warmer for cold weather and the usefulness of a USB charger without re-inventing the wheel. Great for outdoor lovers who prefer the colder weather.

Beartooth

The Beartooth is a great device that connects with your smartphone wirelessly and allows you to use it as a walkie-talkie to communicate with other users. The device is sold in pairs so it is a great addition to your gear when camping, backpacking, traveling or any other activity that takes you to places where you will have no cellphone coverage but want to stay in touch with those who are traveling with you.

Outdoor Tech Turtle Shell 3.0

Not every device in the list has to be all business. The Turtle Shell 3.0 is a power bank that allows you to charge your other electronics but it is also a powerful speaker with a 25-hour battery life that is waterproof and it can even float.

inReach SE

The inReach SE is a powerful satellite communicator that allows you to send and receive messages when off grid and without cell phone service. The battery can last up to 100 hours and connecting the device with your smartphone can unlock many more features. Its rugged design goes perfectly with its GPS capabilities to accompany you anywhere you choose to go.

Gotoky

Another great device to communicate off grid with other users that have a Gotoky as well. It connects to your smartphone via Bluetooth and allows you to call, text and share locations. It has a feature that lets it function as a location beacon for other devices and rescue services with a reach of 20 kilometers or more depending on signal obstacles.

Spot Gen3

The Spot gen3 is a simple device that communicates with your loved ones letting them know your GPS location and even custom messages to let them know you are OK or need help. The S.O.S button sends a distress signal to local emergency response in the event of an emergency no matter where you are around the world.

Image courtesy of Stephan Ridgway at Flickr.com

Iridium Go

The Iridium Go is designed for the most serious users that need full Internet services anywhere. The device gives you access to satellite-based Internet from anywhere in the planet. You can connect several devices within a 100-foot radius from the Iridium Go. While the data services may be a bit limited, you can communicate via voice and text easily from literally anywhere.

Thuraya SatSleeve Hotspot

Another satellite-based Internet-connected device that lets you access the Internet from anywhere in the world. Compatible with both Android and iOS operating systems, the Thuraya SatSleeve Hotspot is a great way to stay connected even if you are completely off grid.