Motorola’s new three smartphones under Google

At a news conference in New York on Wednesday, Motorola Mobility introduced three smartphones under its Razr brand that will become available for Verizon customers. The focus of these phones was speed, because they could connect to Verizon’s faster fourth-generation network. And they have larger screens than their primary rival, the Apple iPhone.

The new phones, the Droid Razr HD, the Razr M and the Razr Maxx HD, have a cellular modems inside them, which connect with newer, faster fourth-generation LTE networks.

The Droid Razr HD has a 4.7-inch screen with 16 hours of talk time, which is twice as long as many similar phones.

The Razr M, which has a 4.3-inch screen, will be released next week for $100 with a two-year contract from Verizon.

Guide on Cloud Computing

In a book “10 Steps to a Digital Practice in the Cloud: New Levels of CPA Firm Workflow Efficiency” published by the American Institute of CPAs, the authors describe the 10 steps for getting a digital practice up and running:

• Get the right technology infrastructure to leverage the cloud.
• Provision enough Internet bandwidth, both wired and wireless, to operate effectively.
• Select the right mix of desktops, laptops, mobile devices and software to function in a productive, effective way.
• Install the right scanning systems to aid the shift to a paperless office. 
• Deploy a document management system to maximize efficiency with digital records.
• Use trial balance working paper software, if the firm performs many of these engagements.
• Transform the firm’s Web site into a full-fledged client portal.
• Maximize productivity with workflow software.
• Offer clients cloud-based accounting systems.
• Have the right plan and tools in place to ensure data security and speedy disaster recovery.

Read full article “Guide on Cloud Computing” at accounting.pettir.com

Microsoft's Hotmail Rebrands to Outlook

Microsoft gave its email service Hotmail a complete overhaul on Tuesday, rebranding the portal as Outlook.com. The new Outlook is pretty, refreshing, and chock full of useful features.

The renovated service boasts a minimalist interface that borrows heavily from the tile-driven design of Windows 8. Facebook Chat and Skype's industry-leading video calls will be built into Outlook, and users can open Microsoft Office files directly in web versions of Word, Excel, and PowerPoint. Unlike Gmail, Microsoft promises that it won't scan your inbox for keywords to deliver you targeted ads.

Microsoft makes it easy to switch from Gmail to Outlook, which has the ability to easily forward a Gmail account's inbox to Outlook.com with a few simple clicks. In other words, you can use Outlook's interface with your Gmail address.

Why Do Businesses Need An Accounting System?

Maintaining a set of accounting records is not optional, it's a law! The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) requires that businesses prepare and retain a set of records and documents that can be audited. Internal Revenue Code requires that business have the ability to compute taxable income by using some sort of common-sense accounting system that clearly reflects income. In addition, the federal legislation requires public companies to have a detail and accurate books, records, and accounts of transactions and dispositions of the assets.

Beyond complying with the law, a company that fails to keep an accurate record of its business transactions may lose revenue and is more likely to operate inefficiently. You can’t successfully manage your business without the accounting system. Success requires the ability to perform financial analysis, which is to accurately measure business growth, profitability, and cash flow, as well as to reasonably estimate your financial condition.

Read full source article at accounting.pettir.com

Microsoft Surface threatens the Macbook Air & iPad

Microsoft made a big splash when it unveiled Surface, a new line of Windows 8-powered tablets. With a detachable magnetic cover that doubles as a keyboard, Microsoft's soon-to-be-released device transforms itself into an ultra-portable productivity center that could supplant laptops.

Consumers will have their choice of getting the MacBook Air for work and an iPad for play, or killing two birds with one stone by buying Microsoft's beautifully designed, ultra-fast tablet that doubles as a lean full computer.

Surface might be the first tablet to give the iPad some serious competition, but there's still no price tag, no release date, and no real specs — just a couple of journalists who got to play with a Surface prototype for a few minutes.

Apple's Map Is Google Maps Killer

As many had anticipated, Apple announced at this week's Worldwide Developer Conference that it would ditch Google Maps as its primary mapping software for mobile devices. Google destroyed its relationship with Apple when it decided to go toe-to-toe with the iPhone by releasing Android in 2008

The new in-house mapping software will come bundled with iOS 6. If users want to get to Google Maps, they'll have to find and install the app themselves

When Apple's in-house map software debuts with iOS 6 this fall, it will be compatible with Siri and sport new 3D features. It will also offer turn-by-turn driving directions and highlight real-time traffic congestion, not to mention that Apple is partnering with Yelp to offer local information about more than 100 million businesses worldwide.

Several automakers, including BMW, General Motors, Honda, and Toyota have even signed up for a new program that will integrate a Siri button on car steering wheels and make use of Apple's new map system.

Square: Turn Mobile Devices Into Credit Card Machines

Plug Square credit-card reader gizmo into your Android smartphone or iOS device (iPhone, iPod Touch, and iPad) and you are ready to accept credit-card payments anytime, anywhere! The Square app is available for free download.

People love the fact that the reader plugs into the headphone jack on your iOS or Android device; it's not some bulky custom case the works only with select models. You pay only a small percentage of each transaction. No monthly or annual fees. The company charges 2.75 percent per swipe for Visa, Mastercard, Discover, and American Express.

The card reader has a suggested retail price of $9.95 with a $10 rebate upon signup for new users and can now be purchased at many stores (Apple, Best Buy, OfficeMax, Radio Shack, Target, UPS, Wal-Mart, Walgreens, Staples, and FedEx stores) across the U.S.

Read full article “Square Credit-Card Reader” at accounting.pettir.com

Samsung Galaxy S III splashy debut

The smartphone giant's latest Android offering makes a splashy debut in London, boasting facial-recognition technology and Siri-like voice controls.

The device, which will be available in Europe May 23 and shortly thereafter in the U.S., is now the Korean manufacturer's flagship handheld. The phone comes equipped with expected spec bumps like a new quad-core processor, an 8-megapixel rear camera, and a high-contrast AMOLED screen.

The Galaxy S III boasts a formidable 4.8-inch touchscreen, a display 22 percent larger than the Galaxy S II, and vastly bigger than the iPhone's 3.5-inch touchscreen.

A new feature called Smart Stay follows your gaze and automatically dims the phone when you look away. That not only conserves power, but ensures that the screen won't dim when you're doing long-reading on the gadget.

The Galaxy S III keeps tabs on people's faces with exciting new facial-recognition technology. If you snap a picture of a friend, and the phone recognizes the person in the picture, it will ask you if you want to send a copy of the photo to that friend.

The new S Voice feature also allows you to send a text, use the camera, or launch an app with spoken commands.

Jeremy Lin trails only Derrick Rose on the NBA’s top-selling jerseys

NY Knicks guard, Jeremy Lin, whose rise from a nobody to superstar in just a matter of weeks earlier this year for the Knicks sparked global interest, trails only reigning NBA MVP Derrick Rose on the list of most popular jerseys at the NBA Store and nbastore.com since April 2011, according to the list of top-selling jerseys the NBA released on Thursday.

Lin hasn't even stepped foot on an NBA court since April 2 knee surgery and didn't even crack the Knicks starting lineup until February. He is back jogging and participating in shooting drills with the hopes of returning for the second round of the NBA playoffs if the Knicks advance that far

Lin is selling more jerseys than some of the biggest names in the sport. Lin's No. 17 is performing better than those of Kobe Bryant, LeBron James and Dwyane Wade.

Compare to the trio of NBA superstars who have a combined 30 All-Star appearances, Lin has only started 25 games in his brief pro career.

Source: smartinmoney.posterous

Official Google Tablet Will Be Available In July

Google is reportedly building an official in-house tablet for release later this year. The move could conceivably be a big win for the web powerhouse, which, like Apple, is uniting hardware and software under one roof to create a more streamlined.

Here's what we know so far about Google's tablet:

1. Expect a 7-inch display
2. It'll be Wi-Fi only
3. To be sold only at a Google store
4. It will be available in July

Facebook acquires Instagram for $1 billion

Facebook Inc.said Monday it would acquire Instagram, the maker of a
popular photo-sharing mobile app and service, for approximately $1
billion in cash and stock.

Facebook made the announcement via Chief Executive Mark Zuckerberg's
Facebook page.

Instagram allows users of smartphones to instantly add features to
their digital photos and share them with friends.

Personal Computer Glasses by Google

Google's sci-fi plan to transform a pair of glasses into a wearable
personal computer has long threatened to become a reality.

On Wednesday, the rumors were confirmed, and the initiative was
finally revealed as "Project Glass." The search giant's Star
Trek-inspired, augmented-reality specs — which promise to beam data
from Google's vast trove of information right in front of your eyes —
are slimmer and sleeker than initial reports indicated.

Wearers, through vocal commands alone, can send instant messages, look
up directions, snap photos (and share them with Google+ circles), add
events to calendars, and video chat with friends. Google, however,
will be testing them in public very soon.

Apple Supplier in China: Foxconn Commits on Labor Changes

The Fair Labor Association, a Washington D.C.-based advocacy group
focused on workers' rights issues, said Thursday that it has found
"significant issues with working conditions" at three China factories
operated by Foxconn, a major Apple Inc. supplier.

The independent group of academics, civil society organizations and
companies said it has "secured groundbreaking commitments that will
reduce working hours to legal limits while protecting pay, improve
health and safety conditions, establish a genuine voice for workers,
and will monitor on an ongoing basis to verify compliance."

Apple previously announced that it had engaged the FLA to audit these
facilities.

February pending home sales index dips 0.5 point

Pending home sales dipped slightly in February, according to an industry trade group the National Association of Realtors. Its pending sales index fell to 96.5% last month from 97.0% in January, although it's still 9.2 percentage points above its year-ago level. 

"The spring home buying season looks bright because of an elevated level of contract offers so far this year. If activity is sustained near present levels, existing-home sales will see their best performance in five years," said Lawrence Yun, NAR's chief economist. 

By region, pending home sales rose 6.5%% in the Midwest, but dropped 3.0% in the South, 2.6% in the West and 0.6% in the Northeast. 

An index reading of 100 is equal to the average level of contract activity during 2001. A sale is listed as pending when the contract has been signed but the transaction has not closed. Not all contracts lead to closings.

February new-home sales fall while prices jump

Sales of new homes dipped 1.6% in February though prices jumped, according to data released by the Commerce Department on Friday. Sales fell to a seasonally adjusted 313,000 in February, from a slightly downwardly revised 318,000 in January. 

Median sales prices, which are not seasonally adjusted, jumped 8.3% to $233,700, which is the biggest one-month percentage rise in 14 months. Compared to Feb. 2011, median prices climbed 6%.

U.S. jobless claims at the lowest level in the last 4 years

The number of Americans who filed requests for jobless benefits fell by 5,000 last week to 348,000, the lowest level since February 2008, the U.S. Labor Department said Thursday. 

Claims from two weeks ago were revised up to 353,000 from 351,000. 

The average of new claims over the past four weeks, meanwhile, declined by 1,250 to 355,000. 

Continuing claims, which reflect people already receiving benefits, decreased by 9,000 to a seasonally adjusted 3.35 million in the week ended March 10. Continuing claims are reported with a one-week lag. 

About 7.28 million people received some kind of state or federal benefit in the week ended March 3, a decline of 142,499. Total claims are reported with a two-week lag.

Apple Initial Sales Of New IPad Top 3 Million Units

Apple Inc. sold three million new iPad tablets since the latest version of the product started selling Friday, March 16,  in the U.S. and nine other countries. That is the strongest iPad launch to date, according to Futurist Creation's blog.

The new iPad is available in the U.S., Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Hong Kong, Japan, Puerto Rico, Singapore, Switzerland, U.K. and the U.S. Virgin Islands and will be rolled out to 24 more countries starting this Friday, March 23.

The report comes on a day of big news for the technology company, which earlier unveiled plans to share billions of dollars in profits with shareholders through dividend and buyback share. Apple would issue its first dividend in more than a decade, paying $2.65 a share each quarter. The company also plans to buy back as much as $10 billion in stock over the next three years, beginning on Sept. 30, the start of its 2013 fiscal year.

In January, Apple said its fiscal first-quarter earnings more than doubled, blowing past analysts' expectations, as profit and revenue hit record highs, led by strong sales of the iPhone smartphone and iPad.. Source article "Apple Initial Sales Of New IPad Top 3 Million Units".

Apple pays investors with dividend and share buyback

Apple Inc CEO Tim Cook fulfilled a longstanding desire of investors by initiating a quarterly dividend and share buyback that will pay out $45 billion over three years.

The world's most valuable technology company will start paying its first dividends since 1995 -- a regular quarterly payout of $2.65 a share -- in July, and buy back up to $10 billion of its stock beginning in the next fiscal year.

Ignatius' Report: Bin Laden ordered operatives to kill Obama and Petraeus

Documents found at Osama bin Laden's compound in Pakistan show that he
directed operatives to kill President Obama and Gen. David Petraeus,
Washington Post columnist David Ignatius reports.

"The reason for concentrating on them," the al-Qaeda leader allegedly
wrote, in a document recovered by U.S. forces during the May 2 raid on
the compound, "is that Obama is the head of infidelity and killing him
automatically will make [Vice President Joe] Biden take over the
presidency. ... Biden is totally unprepared for that post, which will
lead the U.S. into a crisis. As for Petraeus, he is the man of the
hour ... and killing him would alter the war's path" in Afghanistan.

Administration officials said Friday that the Obama-Petraeus plot was
never a serious threat. Ignatius reports that he was given an
exclusive look at the documents by a senior administration official.

U.S. unemployment unchanged at 8.3 percent in February

U.S. employers added 227,000 jobs in February to complete three of the best months of hiring since the recession began. The unemployment rate was unchanged, largely because more people streamed into the work force.

The Labor Department said Friday that the unemployment rate stayed at 8.3 percent last month, the lowest in three years. And hiring in January and December was better than first thought. The government revised those figures to show 61,000 an additional jobs.