30 New OS X Mountain Lion Features In 2 Minutes Flat

A quick tour through OS X Mountain Lion, released yesterday.

Small Businesses Going More and More Mobile

When it comes to technology, small businesses continue to ratchet up their use of emerging wireless solutions, including tablet computers, 4G devices, and GPS navigation mobile apps. This according to the just-released 2012 AT&T* Small Business Technology Poll**. More specifically, the national survey of small businesses revealed the following:

Nearly all small businesses (96%) surveyed use wireless technologies in their operations, with almost two-thirds (63%) indicating that they could not survive -- or it would be a major challenge to survive -- without wireless technologies.

More than four in 10 (43%) small businesses surveyed report all of their employees use wireless devices or technologies to work away from the office, a nearly 80% jump from three years ago.
Despite being a relatively new technology, two-thirds (67%) of small businesses surveyed indicate that they use tablet computers, up from 57% a year ago.

By end of 2012, some 50% of small businesses surveyed expect to have all their employees using wireless technologies to work away from the office.

When it comes to smartphones the numbers get more interesting.

85% of small businesses reported using smartphones for their operations, up from 80% last year and more than double the usage five years ago (42%).

4G Devices:

One third of smartphones used by small businesses for business purposes are 4G.
Nearly nine in 10 (86%) of the businesses using 4G smartphones are satisfied with the speed.
Of those who don't have 4G devices, more than one-third (35%) report that they expect to purchase 4G smartphones within the next year, and more than half (54%) within the next two years.

Mobile apps are here to stay.

Almost one-third (30%) of small businesses surveyed use mobile apps for their business, with key reasons being to save time, increase productivity and reduce costs.

Mobile apps are gaining in importance for small businesses that use them, with half (50%) saying they could not survive - or it would be a major challenge to survive - without mobile apps, a 31% jump over the past year.

Of small businesses using mobile apps, GPS navigation and mapping are by far the most popular with 80% of business owners using them, followed by location-based services (44%) and social media marketing (42%).

Regional Variations: Based on responses to questions regarding four factors - perceived importance of wireless, use of wireless technology, use of mobile apps, and percentage of employees using wireless to work remotely - a Wireless Quotient, or "WiQ," was calculated for each of the 12 markets surveyed.

"More than ever, we're seeing small businesses leverage the benefits afforded by wireless technologies, whether they be smartphones, tablets, mobile apps, or 4G speeds," said Ebrahim Keshavarz, AT&T vice president of Small Business Product Management. "There's no doubt that with 'virtual offices' and remote workforces becoming more and more prevalent, AT&T will remain committed to offering innovative and affordable mobility solutions, helping small businesses reduce costs and increase productivity over both the short- and long-term."

Kindle Fire Apps Coming Next Week

Amazon said Wednesday morning that it will have “several thousand” apps coming for the Kindle Fire’s launch next week.

The apps will include access to Netflix, a selling point that Barnes and Noble highlighted with its launch of the new Nook Tablet this week.

Other apps available through Amazon’s curated version of the Android market will include Facebook, Pandora (also a Nook partner), Rovio, PopCap, Zynga and Gameloft, all powerhouses for mobile consumption.

In a press release, Kindle vice president Dave Limp said that the new apps were “only the beginning -- we’re adding more apps and games every day across all categories.”

The Kindle Fire and the Nook Tablet are set to compete head-on for consumers looking for cheaper tablets that focus on reading. At $199, the Kindle Fire has the price advantage, though the Nook has more memory. On the other hand, the Fire is aimed at being more of an all-in-one device for mobile media, providing access to Amazon’s extensive retail ecosystem.

A new report from ChangeWave Research, Boy Genius Report shared, has found that demand for the Kindle Fire slightly outstrips the demand the company measured for the iPad 2 ahead of its 2010 launch: Five percent of customer said they were “very likely” to buy the Fire, compared with 4 percent of folks who said the same about iPad 2. Analysts have said that the Fire is not likely to be a major threat to the iPad, because the Amazon tablet going after the low end of the market. The iPad is more of a high-end device.  I expect Kindle Fire sales to be stronger than even the experts are planning this holiday season.

Kindle Free Pick of the Week: Video Poker

Now you can play video poker right on your Kindle.

 Video Poker accurately simulates the Vegas-style video poker machine known as Jacks or Better. After making a bet, you will be dealt five cards. You select which of these five cards to hold, and redraw the rest to try to make the best poker hand possible. A hand with a pair of Jacks or better wins.

The built-in Strategy feature, which you can turn on and off at any time, will provide recommendations for how to play given the hand you were dealt, and will give you hints on how to improve if you fail make the best move. This guidance will help you learn how to play the game, and how to maximize your payouts.

Video Poker tracks how much you win or lose and how often you play the best possible hand.

Try Video Poker on your Kindle today!  It's Free!

Angry Birds Rio Coming in March

Good news for the millions of Angry Birds fans out there.

20th Century Fox struck a deal to bring the domesticated macaw and other feathered characters from its upcoming big-screen animated film, "Rio," to one of the most popular mobile game applications for the small screen, Angry Birds.

The Finnish creators of Angry Birds will release a version of the game -- Angry Birds Rio -- to coincide with the film's March 22 world premiere in Rio. The movie opens in theaters April 15.

On Friday, Fox Filmed Entertainment co-Chairman Jim Gianopulos announced the partnership with game developer Rovio in a press event on the Fox studio lot in Century City under a tent with giant beach balls and a lot of optimism.  The studio also screened 26 minutes of footage, introduced by director Carlos Saldanha and voice stars Jamie Foxx, Anne Hathaway and George Lopez.

Fox hopes to tap into the pop-culture phenomenon that is Angry Birds (downloaded some 75 million times and still counting) to build awareness for its latest animated project from Blue Sky Studios, creators of the "Ice Age" blockbusters.

Rovio, meanwhile, gets to introduce a new version of the game (using Blue Sky's intellectual property), and capitalize on the marketing blitz that is planned for the theatrical release.

Looks like a win-win for both companies, not that they needed any help selling their content and products.  Get ready to be invaded by Angrey Birds.