iPhone users have iTunes, but Android users must figure out their own syncing arrangement. Of the numerous Android syncing programs out there, I recommend trying DoubleTwist first. DoubleTwist reliably gets the job done with minimal hassle. I’ve found no other comprehensive media-syncing tool that costs nothing, offers such a clean and functional interface, and works with most Android phones. What’s more, if you’re willing to shell out $5, you can pick up a companion app that enables Wi-Fi syncing. Here’s how to get started.

Step 1: Download and install DoubleTwist for PC. Although a free DoubleTwist media-player app is available for Android, you need only the desktop version to set up sync.

Step 2: Launch DoubleTwist, and it will scan your PC for media. You can import music, photos, and videos that the program does not automatically find, as well as playlists from iTunes and Windows Media Player, by exploring the Library menu.

Step 3: Connect your Android phone to your PC via USB, and then click the status bar and set your phone to USB Mass Storage or Disk Drive mode. You’ll see your phone under Devices in DoubleTwist.

Syncing music and photos with DoubleTwist.

Step 4: Click the name of your Android phone to open sync options. You can sync all or part of your media collection by browsing tabs (Music, Photos, Videos), choosing options, and clicking the Sync button. Notice that you can have DoubleTwist import new media from your phone during the sync. If you prefer, you can also drag and drop individual files between the DoubleTwist Library and your device.

If you want to enable wireless sync with the $5 DoubleTwist AirSync app, you can set it up in three easy steps.

Step 1: Connect your computer and phone to the same wireless network.

Step 2: Launch AirSync, and select Yes to set up Wi-Fi pairing.

Step 3: Click the name of your phone under Devices in the DoubleTwist desktop program. Enter the passcode displayed on your phone. You can now perform the same syncing operations described above.

For professional and affordable IT support, feel free to contact us at Farend, for no obligation quotation.

The above article was originally published by PC World and can be seen here.

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus is the first smartphone to run the latest version of Google’s Android platform, 4.0 or properly called: Ice Cream Sandwich. It boasts a strikingly large 4.65in Super AMOLED HD screen and has a distinctive teardrop design. Naturally, its going to be compared to the popular Apple iPhone 4S. So, how does it stack up?

The Galaxy Nexus has a bigger screen, a camera that claims to have zero shutter lag and runs Google’s most advanced version of Android yet. Is it enough to compete with the iPhone 4S? Let’s take a closer look.

Galaxy Nexus vs. iPhone 4S: Specifications

Galaxy Nexus vs. iPhone 4S: Display

The Galaxy Nexus has a strikingly large 4.65in Super AMOLED HD display — one of the biggest screens currently available on the market. The HD points to a high definition resolution of 1280×720; we can tell you that the Galaxy Nexus displays an ultra sharp and crisp image. The screen is bright, vivid and clear and text is crisp and smooth with minimal visible aberrations. The large size of the screen makes the Galaxy Nexus great for video playback but the best benefit of the screen is the experience it creates when reading and Web browsing. Our only complaint is that the automatic brightness setting is often erratic.

The iPhone 4S on the other hand has the same 3.5in sized display as the iPhone 4 it replaced. It looks TINY alongside the Galaxy Nexus but remains one of the best screens on any phone we’ve reviewed. The iPhone 4S display uses IPS technology and its 640×960 pixel resolution has been described as a “retina” display due to the human eye being unable to distinguish individual pixels. The iPhone 4S’s screen has a pixel density of 330ppi — slightly higher than the 316ppi of the Galaxy Nexus.

Verdict: The iPhone 4S’ screen remains one of the best ever produced on a mobile device, but we have to award the win here to the Galaxy Nexus. Not only does it dwarf the iPhone in size, its also the best screen we’ve ever seen on any Android phone. Text is crisp and clear making reading and Web browsing a delightful experience, while the size of the screen doesn’t make handling the phone an awkward experience.

Galaxy Nexus vs. iPhone 4S: Design

Samsung has equipped the Galaxy Nexus with a curved screen and a body that has a teardrop profile — this means the phone is thicker at the top and slightly wider towards the bottom. The curvature makes the Galaxy Nexus feel natural to hold and therefore comfortable to use. If you’re worried that the Galaxy Nexus might be too big, don’t — the phone has on-screen controls rather than capacitive keys that were previously standard on Android phones, so it isn’t much bigger than the popular Samsung Galaxy S II.

Unfortunately, the Galaxy Nexus’ battery cover is way too fiddly and difficult to put back on once its removed. It’s only a minor issue but the fit and finish is a step behind the iPhone 4S — the plastic feels durable but it doesn’t look or feel as sturdy as a premium device should. We really like the non-slip grip that the back of the Galaxy Nexus provides, but we wish Samsung paid more attention to detail.

The Apple iPhone 4S on the other hand retains an identical design to the iPhone 4. It’s constructed largely from aluminium and glass, is just 9.3mm thick and has an industrial look and feel with distinctive, sharp edges. The iPhone 4S also retains the iPhone 4′s glass back that does look slick but attracts plenty of fingerprints. The iPhone 4S is a superbly constructed smartphone, but it doesn’t feel as comfortable to hold as the Galaxy Nexus due to its sharp edges

Verdict: We love the Galaxy Nexus’ teardrop design, its subtle curve and the way it feels in our hands, but the winner here is the iPhone 4S. It may not be as comfortable to hold but there is no doubting it’s superb build quality and construction. The iPhone 4S feels exactly like a premium smartphone should and even though the design is essentially more than a year old, it hasn’t aged.

Galaxy Nexus vs. iPhone 4S: Software

The Galaxy Nexus is the first phone to run Google’s latest Android software, Ice Cream Sandwich. The entire user interface has been refreshed to create a more uniform look and feel. It’s faster and slicker than any previous Android software. It feels more consistent and easier to use. The camera shutter is staggeringly fast: there is almost zero shutter lag, so images are captured as soon as you press the on-screen shutter key. The Web browser is speedy and smooth and performance is consistently excellent.

The iPhone 4S runs Apple’s latest iOS 5 operating system. It offers the same familiar swipeable home screen enhanced by folders, and the consistent Apple UI look and feel extending across all of the standard applications. If you have never used an iPhone before, you can expect a device that is easy to pick up and use, a well-populated App Store, and excellent multimedia capabilities. The latest iOS 5 version of Apple’s platform also introduces iCloud, a cloud storage solution that automatically stores your content and makes it available on multiple devices including a Mac or PC. All iPhone users get 5GB of cloud storage for free but can upgrade to larger capacities for an extra cost: 10GB for $21 per year, 20GB for $42 per year or 50GB for $105 per year.

Verdict: Ice Cream Sandwich is a delicious upgrade to Android and ties up alot of loose ends. It’s slicker, faster and easier to use than ever before. Despite this, Apple’s iOS platform remains easier to use and its user interface is far more consistent. A choice between these two platforms ultimately comes down to personal preference: Android is far more flexible and offers more features, but the iPhone does the basics and does them incredibly well. Some might love iOS’ elegance, others may hate its oversimplified approach. Some might love tinkering with Android, others may find it confusing. On that basis, we’re calling this one a draw.

Galaxy Nexus vs iPhone 4S: Camera

The Samsung Galaxy Nexus has a 5-megapixel camera with single-LED flash that also doubles as a full HD 1080p video recorder. The best feature of the camera is its speed: it takes photos with virtually zero shutter lag and it really has to be seen to be believed. You can easily capture a whole heap of images in a matter of seconds, as the picture is taken the moment you press the on-screen shutter key. The Galaxy Nexus also has a 1.3-megapixel front facing camera will handle video calls and also record 720p HD video: a nifty addition for those who like to record themselves.

The iPhone 4S has 8-megapixel camera that’s widely regarded as one of the best mobile phone cameras on the market. It has a backlight illuminated CMOS sensor that claims to offer better performance in low light situations. The 4S camera can record 1080p video and has an image signal processor to provide image stabilisation and face recognition. Apple says the iPhone 4S takes 1.1 seconds to be ready for a photo and then just half a second between successive photos: not as quick as the Galaxy Nexus, but still very fast.

Verdict: The Galaxy Nexus has a good camera, but the iPhone 4S has a great camera. We loved the fact that there is virtually zero shutter lag on the Galaxy Nexus but the iPhone 4S generally produces better quality images with a little more detail, less image noise and better exposure. The Galaxy Nexus is by no means a bad camera: in many instances it produces more natural looking photos than the iPhone 4S and its macro performance is very similar. But the win here goes to Apple.

Galaxy Nexus vs. iPhone 4S: Internals

The main appeal of the Samsung Galaxy Nexus may be its Ice Cream Sandwich software, but the phone is packing some serious hardware, too. The Galaxy Nexus is powered by a 1.2GHz dual-core processor, has 1GB of RAM and either 16GB or 32GB of internal memory. There is no microSD card slot for extra storage, so you’ll have to make the most of the on-board memory. A 1750mAh battery powers the device.

The iPhone 4S is powered by an 800MHz Apple A5 dual core processor, but only has 512MB of RAM. It also has a dual-core graphics processor to speed up gaming. According to Apple, the dual core CPU combined with the dual-core GPU makes graphics performance up to seven times faster than the iPhone 4. A real positive is the 64GB model iPhone 4S, along with the standard 16GB and 32GB models. The iPhone 4S has a 1420mAh battery.

Verdict: The Galaxy Nexus has a bigger battery, a faster processor and more RAM, but the iPhone 4S has more internal memory. In the end, how the internals work depends on the software: the iPhone 4S may have a slower processor on paper, but is anything but a slow phone. In the end, we’ll call this one a draw.

Galaxy Nexus vs. iPhone 4S: Other features

The Galaxy Nexus supports a wide range of video and music files and best of all it doesn’t require software like iTunes to get music and video files onto it. You can simply plug the Galaxy Nexus into a PC via a USB port and drag and drop files onto the device. On a Windows PC the Galaxy Nexus appears in the control panel as a “portable device”, but on a Mac or Linux computer you will need to download the Android File Transfer application in order to move files to and from the phone.

The Apple iPhone 4S requires iTunes software to synchronise video and music files. It doesn’t come with a HDMI-out port, but an optional Apple Digital AV Adapter ($45) can mirror whatever is on your iPhone 4S screen to a high definition TV. The Galaxy Nexus can be connected to a television via HDMI but only if you purchase a seperate MHL (Mobile High-Definition Link) adapter that uses the micro-USB port to output 1080p HD video and audio via HDMI.

The Galaxy Nexus comes pre-loaded with the Google Maps Navigation application that offers free turn-by-turn GPS navigation. This is a real advantage over third-party turn-by-turn GPS applications for the iPhone 4S that often cost well over $50.

The iPhone 4S comes with an exclusive software feature called Siri voice control. It’s a voice assistant that lets you talk to perform tasks, such as asking for the weather forecast, making a calendar appointment, setting your alarm and creating a reminder. It’s a Beta release, but Siri works with Australian English in addition to US and UK English languages.

Another point worth noting is the fact that the iPhone 4S is a world phone, meaning it will work across both 3G and CDMA networks. There are no longer any CDMA networks in Australia, but for those who frequently travel to the US, the iPhone 4S’ status as a “world phone” will definitely come in handy. The Galaxy Nexus is a quad-band HSDPA phone, so it will work across all Australian 3G networks including Telstra’s 850MHz Next G network, and the 900 and 2100MHz networks used by Optus and Vodafone in Australia. Samsung says an LTE version of the Galaxy Nexus will be available “depending on the region” but has not clarified whether Australia will be part of that. Telstra’s new 4G network operates on the LTE 1800MHz spectrum band.

For professional and affordable IT support, feel free to contact us at Farend, for no obligation quotation.

The above article was originally published by Techworld and can be seen here.

If this is making you feel overwhelmed, relax. There are a number of apps and online tools that can make managing and forecasting your business finances a lot easier.

We tested a number of online cash-flow management tools to come up with our five picks that provide the most value for your time and money:

1. Free Cash-Flow Projection Templates

The simplest way to conduct your own cash-flow analysis is to download one of the many free cash-flow forecasting templates embedded in well-known business applications.

While they don’t have the features of more sophisticated tools, cash-flow projection templates save the time it can take to create a similar one from scratch. Microsoft Office provides several detailed spreadsheets for Excel pre-loaded into its desktop software, with more available for download from the Office website.

Google Docs offers templates which can be shared and edited with other members of your Google Apps account. You can search for cash-flow tools through Google Docs’ list of templates to find the best one for your business. SCORE — a nonprofit which provides mentorship services for small businesses and entrepreneurs — also offers templates for cash-flow forecasting and other financial statements.

Expect to change some headings and tinker with these templates. But if you fill in expenses, sales and client data, these tools can help you learn a lot more about your money.

2. QuickBooks’ Cash Flow Forecast Report

Intuit’s QuickBooks has built a cash-flow forecast feature into its popular accounting tools. You can define different aspects of your business — such as receivables, bank balances and credit card ledgers — to get a more accurate cash-flow model. Once the report is generated, estimates can be broken down by clicking links and changing date ranges.

3. You Need a Budget’s Online Expense Tracking and Planning Tools

Though mostly aimed at tracking expenses for consumers and household budgets, You Need a Budget‘s $60 single-purchase, downloadable app can offer forward-looking pending estimates for smaller firms, too.

The software automatically generates a budget based on your uploaded bank statements, which can then be edited according to your business needs. Based on this information, You Need a Budget estimates how much money you should expect to have and how much you may still need on hand to meet your costs.

Although the app tends not to offer as detailed an analysis as QuickBooks’s Cash Flow Forecast, it’s not nearly as complex to use with an easy-to-understand interface and jargon-free tutorials.

4. Pulse’s Cash-Flow Modeling Software

For a more comprehensive tool, Pulse is a dedicated cash-flow Web app that allows you to review your company’s cash flow online in unlimited detail.

You can input financial information manually or from a spreadsheet to generate a cash-flow model that can be viewed day-to-day or in weekly or monthly periods. It offers a number of graphics and charts for visualizing how money moves in and out of your business.

Pulse also includes significant collaboration features. Multiple users can edit or view cash flow as well as add notes to income and expenses, which makes Pulse handy for sharing information with a team or with consultants.

Paid accounts start at $14 per month for up to three users and 3 GB of file storage.

5. Master PlanGuru

If your business is outgrowing all these options, one option is PlanGuru. It allows for financial forecasts up to 10 years out as well as automatic management of company income statements and balance sheets — in Excel or QuickBooks files and other formats.

From that, PlanGuru generates a statement with up to 20 different methodologies. You can use it to forecast just about any hypothetical business situation.

All this power comes with a clear risk. Users need to know how to manage money in a complex enterprise, or pay someone who does. PlanGuru is available as a download for $399. It can also be installed on a network server for collaboration at $399 for one user and $250 for each additional user.

Remember, no matter which online tool you use, your forecast is only as good as the data you enter into it. For cash-flow projection tools to function properly and provide the most accurate forecasts, your software needs to be accurate with sales, expenses data and the proper dates for all transactions.

For professional and affordable IT support, feel free to contact us at Farend, for no obligation quotation.

The above article was originally written by Jonathan Blum and published by Entrepreneur and can be seen here.

The good news is that a growing number of affordable products, beyond traditional alarm systems, can help keep your physical facilities and equipment safe. Here are six tools to consider if you’re looking to secure your company’s valuable

1. A Keypad, Key Card or “Biometric” Lock System

Digital lock systems can replace a traditional key with a digital combination, employee identification card, finger print or retina scan. Systems with keycards or passwords can be centrally controlled and monitored, and they are more convenient than traditional locks and keys. Prices for these systems can start as low as $100 per door. Some entry-level options include a LockState keyless lock (around $120) and the BioAxxis Biometric Deadbolt ($225).

2. Device-Tracking Software

With more employees taking company equipment home, there’s a greater chance that some items can go missing. Installing tracking software can help you locate and retrieve these devices when they go missing.

Tracking software uses global positioning system coordinates — just like the GPS in your car and the mapping software on your mobile phone — to pinpoint where your missing device is. Some systems also can locate your mobile device through proprietary technology if someone uses it to access the Internet.

There are free, open-source options such as Prey, as well as numerous products with additional features that you can buy. Absolute Software’s LoJack for laptops, for example, starts at $40 for one year.

3. Portable Device Locks

Laptops and other portable technology devices are among some of the most commonly stolen business items. But installing locks that tether them to desks or other hard-to-move objects can reduce the likelihood of theft. Such locks typically start around $20 and can go as high as $100, depending on the brand and style.

Some examples include Kensington’s combination laptop lock ($20) as well as its iPad case/lock combination ($60).

4. Non-Removable Identification Labels

Metal tags engraved with company information can be attached with weather resistant and tamper resistant “high bond” adhesive to business equipment that can be easily stolen. Thieves know that it will be harder to sell stolen devices with permanent labels or to use them in public.

Prices vary depending on the type of label and quantity ordered, but expect to spend about $8 apiece for metal labels with adhesive backing. Two companies to consider for custom metal labels are Metalmarkermfg.com and YEUELL.

5. Motion-Sensing Lights

Motion-sensing light technology systems trigger lights when there is activity in the immediate vicinity, alerting employees to suspicious activity. These detectors can work with any light, whether in a secure area inside your office or in a dark area outside.

Simple outdoor motion-sensing spotlights are relatively inexpensive, such as the Lithonia double-head spotlight (about $120). The price of indoor systems can vary depending on the size of your space.

6. New or Updated Surveillance Equipment

Unless you’re a relatively new business, chances are your security cameras and monitoring system are outdated. That is, if you have any at all.

For less than $500, several systems allow you to view your security camera feeds from any device, using a Wi-Fi network. Options include an entry-level Uniden three-camera wireless system ($300) and the Lorex four-camera set ($650) which is designed for mobile viewing.

The physical security of your business and the devices you use is as important as the safety of your business data. Using one or a combination of these tools can help ensure that your business is not an easy target for theft.

For professional and affordable IT support, feel free to contact us at Farend, for no obligation quotation.

The above article was originally written by Raymond Ray and published by Entrepreneur and can be seen here.

Metrics Are Down

The first and most important indicator that your website is in need of a rethink is metrics that are beginning to tank. There certainly could be other reasons for this symptom (such as your product not fitting the market), but once those are eliminated or mitigated, a constant downward trend in conversions, sales, engagement activities and general user participation indicates that the efficacy of your current design has worn off. Many people call it “creative fatigue,” but what this really indicates is a disconnect with your audience. The key to solving this in the redesign is to figure out where in the workflow the design is breaking down and then address those areas as top priorities.

The extent to which you redesign to solve sagging metrics could be limited either to adjusting your conversion funnel, if that’s where the problem resides, or to optimizing the product’s main workflow. It does not necessarily mean having to rethink the entire face that your product presents to the world.

Your Users Tell You It’s Time

Metrics give you immediate insight that something is wrong, but to get to the core of what needs to be addressed in the redesign you need to speak with your customers. Surveys work well, but usability testing is most effective. The fluidity of face-to-face conversation allows you to explore the dynamic threads that surveys restrict. If through these conversations you notice consistent patterns that shed light on the drivers behind your downward-trending metrics (and you will), then it’s time to redesign. In addition, these user conversations will reveal prevalent attitudes towards your brand, which can also be addressed in the redesign. In some instances, negative brand perception should be enough to trigger a redesign — but you’d never know about it unless you talk to your customers.

Customer feedback will tell you not only whether to rethink parts of your website, but to what extent. Typically, customer conversations focus on specific elements of your workflow. Those areas are the ones that the redesign should focus on. In most cases, this wouldn’t be the whole website, but if the feedback is broad and far-reaching, then tackling the entire experience may be a priority.

The Tech/UX “Debt” List Is Longer Than Your Forearm

Over the course of building a product or website, an organization begins to accrue tech and UX debt. This debt is made up of all the things you should have done during the initial build but either didn’t get around to or had to cut corners on in order to ship the product on time. Each subsequent iteration inevitably adds more debt to the list, until the list becomes so long that it is almost insurmountable. While there are many ways to tackle tech and UX debt on an incremental level, there comes a point when the website, in essence, becomes “totalled.” Like a car that has sustained damage greater in cost than its value, your website gets to the point where starting over would be cheaper than fixing all of the items on your debt list. This is a perfect time for a redesign.

When the debt list gets this long, taking on “incremental redesigns” is easy, where you knock off bits from the list but not the majority of it. This turns into death by a thousand paper cuts, because as you fix elements on the list, you start to accrue more debt around other features. If the list truly is longer than your forearm, then rethink the website if possible.

It Just “Looks” Old

The website’s aesthetic reflects directly on the perception and trustworthiness of your brand. Even if your design was the hotness when it first launched, aesthetics evolve. An old design will be detrimental to your product, leading to the declining metrics mentioned earlier. How can you tell whether your website’s aesthetic is outdated? Look at your competition. Look at hyped-up newly launched services in other sectors. Compare your aesthetics to those of brands that are performing well. Those factors provide excellent barometers by which to assess the currency of your design. The challenge is to review these other websites objectively. Living with your website day in and day out can amplify the feeling that it’s stale and old. Ensure that your assessment is accurate by reviewing your findings with a cross-section of employees in your company.

In this case, the redesign would essentially be a facelift, a superficial upgrade of the presentation layer that doesn’t necessarily address the fundamental workflow or conversion funnel — although those aspects will undoubtedly be affected by this aesthetic upgrade.

It’s Been More Than 12 Months Since Your Last Refresh

Even if none of the above indicators apply to your website, the shelf life of an aesthetic in today’s highly iterative online reality is hardly ever more than 12 months. If it’s been a year or longer since you last redesigned your website, then it’s time to redesign. Not only will it refresh the experience for your loyal customers, it will attract new ones. In addition, it will breathe life into the brand and show your user base, the press, your investors and staff that you’re committed to keeping the experience fresh and top of mind.

Again, the focus here is on an aesthetic improvement that keeps the brand current, not necessarily an overhaul.

In Conclusion

These are five simple indicators that it’s likely time to redesign your website, but the list is certainly not exhaustive. The number of them that apply to your situation will determine whether a redesign is imperative. But each indicator on its own is still a strong reason to kick off the next phase of your website’s life. Maintaining a current and fresh face for the online world will yield dividends in customer acquisition, conversion and retention. Also, your staff will stay immersed in the latest technologies, design trends and presentation-layer wizardry if they know that they’ll soon get to exercise their chops in a redesign.

For professional and affordable website design and web development, feel free to contact us at Farend, for no obligation quotation.

The above article was originally written by Jeff Gothelf, published by Smash Hit Magazine and can be seen here.

Wi-Fi gives us freedom from wires, but it’s not secure by default. Data is transmitted through the air, and anyone nearby can easily capture it with the right tools. As discussed below, whether you have your own Wi-Fi network or use someone else’s, employing security measures is necessary to protect company files, online accounts, and user privacy.

Why Protect Your Wi-Fi Network?

By default, Wi-Fi routers and access points aren’t secure when you purchase them. Unless you enable encryption, people nearby can easily connect to your network. At best, they just use the free wireless Internet for browsing and downloading, possibly slowing down your connections. However, if they wanted to, they could possibly access your PCs and files. They also could easily capture your passwords or hijack your accounts for websites and services that don’t use SSL encryption, such as some Web-based email clients, Facebook, and Twitter.

If your Internet service provider (ISP) set up your Wi-Fi, it likely enabled encryption. This version of encryption, however, may be an older security option that’s now easily breakable: Wired Equivalent Privacy (WEP).

Why protect your connections on other Wi-Fi networks? When you connect to outside networks, such as hotspots in coffee shops, airports, and other public places, the connection is almost always insecure. Eavesdroppers don’t even have to connect to the Wi-Fi hotspot to capture your traffic. And as with using any other unencrypted Wi-Fi network, they could possibly get hold of your passwords or hijack your online accounts.

To check the security status of your Wi-Fi–and raise its security level as needed–follow these best practices.

1. Choose the Right Wi-Fi Security Options

You can use any of several separate protocols that provide different levels of security: WEP, WPA, and WPA2. You see these options when enabling or changing the wireless security on your wireless router or access points (APs). Depending upon your device, you may have to select WPA first to see the WPA2 option.

WEP is easily breakable and protects you only from casual Wi-Fi users. Wi-Fi Protected Access (WPA) has two versions: the first is simply WPA, for a reasonable level of protection, and the second is WPA2, which provides the best protection to date. To confuse you even more, you can implement both WPA and WPA2 in two very different modes: Personal, aka Pre-Shared Key (PSK), and Enterprise (802.1X, RADIUS, or EAP). Most wireless routers and APs support both modes, which you’ll see listed in the wireless settings.

The Personal mode of WPA/WPA2 is easier to set up, but is subject to brute-force dictionary cracking. This means that someone could potentially come up with your encryption passphrase by running software that repeatedly tries to guess it from a dictionary of common words, passwords, and combinations. However, this isn’t a big issue if you create a long and strong passphrase when setting up the encryption, using no words or phrases that might be in a dictionary.

The Personal mode, though, is not suitable if your organization has more than a couple of Wi-Fi users. In this mode, all computers and devices connecting to the network are set with the same encryption passphrase, which creates issues when employees leave the company or a device becomes lost. You’d want to change the passphrase when such occasions arise–but that means you must change it on all access points and every Wi-Fi device.

The Enterprise mode of WPA/WPA2 is much more complex to set up and requires a server, but it provides better security for organizations. Along with the security itself being stronger, this mode provides each Wi-Fi user with their own username and password for logging onto the Wi-Fi instead of a global passphrase. This means that if an employee leaves the company or their device is stolen, you just have to change their password on the server.

The Enterprise mode also prevents users on your network from snooping on each other’s traffic, capturing passwords, or hijacking accounts, since the encryption keys (exchanged in the background) are unique to each user session.

If you aren’t sure your Wi-Fi is encrypted, you can quickly check. On a PC or device that’s connected to the Wi-Fi network (or at least has Wi-Fi), simply open the list of available wireless networks and find the name of the network you use. In Windows, click the network icon in the lower right corner of your screen.

In Windows XP and Vista, you can quickly see the security status of each AP nearby, listed next to each network name. Windows 7, by default, displays a notice by the network name only if it’s unsecured. But you can hover over the network names to view each one’s security type, as shown in Figure 2.

2. Enable WPA2-Personal Security on Your Network

If your Wi-Fi network is secured only with WEP or nothing at all, then at least enable WPA2-Personal security. To do so, you must first enable it and create a passphrase on the wireless router or access points. You need to log into the control panel of each router or AP by typing its IP address into a Web browser. Next, find the wireless security settings and enable WPA2-Personal (PSK) security with AES encryption/cipher type. Then create a long passphrase with mixed case letters and numbers–using no words found in the dictionary–and apply the changes. The image at right (Figure 3) shows an example of these wireless security settings.

Once WPA2-Personal security is enabled on the router or APs, users will be prompted to enter the passphrase when connecting to the Wi-Fi network.

3. Even Better, Establish WPA2-Enterprise Security

To deploy the Enterprise mode of WPA/WPA2, you first need to get a RADIUS server. It enables the required 802.1X authentication and is where you define the usernames and passwords for Wi-Fi users.

If you don’t have the time or expertise to set up your own server, consider using a hosted service. Keep in mind that there are also access points (APs) with built-in RADIUS servers, such as ZyXEL’s 802.11a/b/g/n Business Access Point (NWA3160-N). But if you’re a Linux fan, you might consider installing the open source FreeRADIUS server software on a server or PC.

Once you have a RADIUS server set up, you input a Shared Secret (password) and other details for each router or AP. You also input the usernames and passwords for the Wi-Fi users or devices into the RADIUS server (or use Active Directory or a separate database).

Next, you have to configure each router or AP with security and authentication settings. You log into the control panel of each router or AP by typing its IP address into a Web browser, and log in. Then you look for the wireless security settings and enable WPA2-Enterprise security, which may be referred to as just plain WPA2. You must then enter the IP address of the RADIUS server that you set up and input the Shared Secret (password) you created for that particular router or AP. Once you apply these changes, users will be able to connect.

4. Offer Separate Wi-Fi for Guests

Never allow an untrusted or unfamiliar person have access to your private Wi-Fi network. If you want to offer visitors or guests wireless Internet access, make sure that such access is segregated from your company’s main network so they can’t possibly get into your computers and files, and eavesdrop on your traffic.

Consider purchasing a separate Internet connection for guests and setting up an additional wireless router or APs. Some wireless routers, such as D-Link’s Xtreme N Gigabit Router (DIR-655), offer guest access on another SSID, or network name, that’s separate from your private network and requires only a single Internet connection. To see if your router offers this option, check the user manual or log in to the router’s Web-based control panel by typing its IP address into a browser and look for a guest feature. Additionally, most business-class APs offer the same functionality by creating Virtual LANs (VLANs) and multiple SSIDs.

When configuring guest access, you could even enable separate encryption so you can still try to control who connects and uses your Internet access. With a wireless router, you should use the guest access settings–such as those shown in Figure 5–for this purpose.

5. Physically Secure Your Network Gear

Besides enabling encryption to secure your private wireless network, you need to think about the physical security of your network. Make sure that your wireless router or APs are all secured from visitors. An intruder could easily plug into the network if it’s in reach or reset it to factory defaults to clear the security. To prevent this, you could, for instance, mount the hardware high on walls or above a false ceiling. Also, if your office has ethernet network ports on the walls, make sure that they aren’t within the reach of visitors, or disconnect them from the network. If you have a larger network with a wiring closet, make sure it says locked and secure.

6. Secure Your Wi-Fi Outside the Office With VPN

You also need to secure your Wi-Fi connections when on other untrusted networks, such as public hotspots. You can use a virtual private network (VPN) connection, which secures all your Internet traffic by redirecting it to the VPN server via an encrypted tunnel. This ensures that if local eavesdroppers are hanging around a Wi-Fi hotspot, they won’t see your real Internet traffic and can’t capture your passwords or hijack any accounts.

If your employer or organization offers VPN access, you can use it to secure your Wi-Fi and also to remotely access the network. But if such a VPN isn’t available, consider hosted services. Many free ones are designed for Wi-Fi security–Hotspot Shield, for example. However, for better reliability and better speeds, you might consider a paid service, such as Comodo TrustConnect.

7. Ensure Websites Are Encrypted Outside the Office

If you don’t use a VPN connection to secure all your traffic when out of the office, at least ensure that any websites you log in to are encrypted. Highly sensitive websites, such as banks, use encryption by default, but others, such as social networking sites and email providers, don’t always do so.

To ensure that a website is using encryption, access it via a Web browser and try to use SSL/HTTPS encryption. You can see if the site supports SSL encryption by adding the letter s to its address: https:// instead of http://. If it’s encrypted, you’ll also see some sort of notification in the browser about the security, such as a padlock or green-colored address bar. If you don’t see any notification or it shows an error, it may not be secure; you should therefore consider waiting to access the site until you’re on a private network at home or in the office.

If you check your email with a client program such as Microsoft Outlook, you should try enabling SSL encryption for your email server in your account settings (see Figure 6). However, many email providers don’t support encrypted connections via client programs. If that’s the case, check your email via the Web browser–using SSL/HTTPS–if possible.

8. Shop for Secure Wi-Fi Gear

When shopping for a Wi-Fi router or access points, keep security in mind. As mentioned, some consumer-level wireless routers, such as the D-Link Xtreme N Gigabit Router, offer a wireless guest feature, so you can keep visitors off your private network. And business-class routers and APs usually offer VLAN and multiple SSID support, which you can configure to do the same.

Additionally, some business-level routers offer integrated VPN servers. You can use VPN connections to secure your Wi-FI hotspot sessions, remotely access your network, or link muliple offices together. Some, such as the ZyXEL 802.11a/b/g/n Business Access Point, even have an embedded RADIUS server, so you can use the Enterprise mode of WPA2 security.

When shopping the big-box stores, you’ll find mostly consumer-level wireless routers. You can check the box for features, but I suggest investigating online before purchasing. Check the manufacturer’s site and read through the model’s product description pages to get a better idea of what features it supports.

When shopping online for consumer or business gear, some Web stores include a lengthy description, but again, check the manufacturer’s site for a full feature list.

For professional and affordable IT support, feel free to contact us at Farend, for no obligation quotation.

The above article was originally written by Eric Geier a freelance tech writer, published by PC World and can be seen here.

Your tech might just help you make (or document) history. Here are tips and apps to help you take photos, stream video, and stay safe during large public gatherings.

These days, carrying around a mere pocket camcorder won’t cut it when you need to capture video of up-to-the-minute breaking events–whether you’re attending a big protest or the local Little League playoffs. After all, you still need to dump the video onto your PC and upload it to YouTube before anyone can watch it. However, if you have a smartphone or tablet with a mobile broadband connection, you can skip the PC steps completely by setting up a live streaming-video feed directly from your mobile gadget that anyone can watch over the Internet.

In this article, I’ll show you how to set up your own live video feed using the Ustream iOS or Android app, so you can be the baddest citizen journalist on your block. Remember, though, that if you’re relying on your 3G or 4G connection instead of on Wi-Fi to send your video feed, the video quality will likely be choppy and inconsistent, especially if you’re in a crowded area.

How to Stream Live Video From Your iPad, iPhone, or iPod Touch

First, grab the Ustream app from the App Store. The current Ustream app is optimized for both the iPhone and the iPad. If you’re using a version of iOS older than 4.1, you’ll need to grab the Ustream Broadcaster app instead, though Ustream doesn’t seem to support it any longer.

Inside the app, touch the camera button in the upper-right corner, tap Go Live, and then enter your Ustream account information (if you already have an account) or sign up for an account. Be warned: The Ustream app will let you create an account, log in, and even start broadcasting, but it might not show your live feed until you log in to Ustream’s website and accept the EULA and privacy policy.

Now you’re in the Broadcaster screen. The app will automatically assess the quality of your Internet connection. If yours is good enough, you can opt for the HQ Broadcast option; otherwise, you’ll have to stick with the normal-quality broadcast. You can also type in a brief description of what you’re broadcasting, and share it via Facebook or Twitter. Once you pick a quality level, your broadcast will be live, and anyone can view your live feed at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/yourusername.

Once your stream has started, you can tap the screen to bring up the options wheel, which includes settings for starting polls in your channel’s chat room, flipping between the device’s front and rear camera, muting the microphone, and showing or hiding the chat room for interacting with your viewers. That’s it! Of course, you may want to open your stream in a Web page to see how it looks to your viewers.

How to Stream Live Video From Your Android Smartphone or Tablet

Don’t worry, Android fans–you aren’t left out of the mobile-video fun. You can download the current Ustream Android app from the Android Market. Once it has finished installing, open it and press Go Live at the main menu (or if you’re on a tablet, touch the camera icon in the upper-right corner).

The Ustream app will prompt you to log in. You can start a new account from here if you don’t already have one, but be warned that Ustream might not display your broadcast or recordings until you’ve logged in via the website and accepted the EULA and privacy policy.

From here, just tap the red circle on the right side, and you’ll start streaming to your Ustream channel, which other people can watch at http://www.ustream.tv/channel/yourusername. The buttons on the right side let you start a poll (for your viewers in the chat channel), toggle the device’s microphone, stop the broadcast, publish to your Facebook and Twitter accounts (if you’re logged in), and show/hide your chat channel. You can also switch between your front-facing camera and your rear-facing camera (if your device has both) by pressing your phone’s Menu button and going to Settings. When you’re done, just tap the red square on the right, and the app will prompt you to save your video.

For professional and affordable IT tech support, feel free to contact us at Farend, for no obligation quotation.

The above article was originally published by PC World and can be seen here.

Does this design fall in line with the overall theme of the company? Does this design ‘say’ what the company tries to say?

In some instances and with some clients, you don’t even have to make a ‘great’ design, however, you are expected to make something that would be well received by the company and their audience.

Being aware of this is being aware of the branding of a company.

What is branding and why is it important?

A quick lesson on branding: Companies should be trying to brand their company (especially if they believe they have a unique service or product to offer). The benefits of branding are often long term, but include customer qualities like loyalty, memorability familiarity and at some point, your marketing expenses will significantly decrease because an audience is already familiar with you. All that stuff sounds good, HOWEVER, the catch is that the company is not in direct control of the brand. In a nutshell, branding is the perceived emotional image of a company as a whole and, in its simplest form, has nothing to do with things like logos and stationary as many designers will lead you to believe.

Branding is a fairly complicated subject because typically the company’s management and the designer are trying to figure out how to brand the company, or how to find a way in which the company will be unique and find a place in the customers mind; but it’s really not about what the management and the designer want, branding really relies on the perception of the audience. So the next question is, ‘How do you find out what your audience is thinking?’

The answer is pretty simple: by doing marketing research—in its simplest form, this could be a survey sent to past customers asking them their perception of the company. The main goal here is to understand your audience and what they think about your company. The next step is how to capitalize (or fix) that perception. That’s branding!

Why is branding necessary?

Every good company should be trying to create a brand and not just creating a company or a nice product. A nicely branded company has placement in your mind–when you think of innovation, perhaps you think of Apple Products. When you think of graphic design, you may automatically think of Adobe Products or Photoshop directly. These are just examples of what good branding is and how they create an attachment with their audience.

When you create a business without really throwing attempts at branding it, your audience will kind of lose sight of it and most times think of it as a copycat business or nothing to really write home about. Worst of all, you may not have an audience at all! The best way to find out if your client is serious, is to ask them what they would like their brand to be perceived as. If they don’t have a decent answer (that makes sense: saying ‘We want to be the next Photoshop’ doesn’t count), then they aren’t serious about their business and desire no long term success.

Brand recognition and consistency

The ultimate goal of a company, is to win the hearts and minds of your consumers. Once you’ve done that, you have achieved what is called ‘brand recognition.’ This means your audience knows the company well enough to know what they may or may not say, and what they may or may not look like.

As a designer, you try to help with the recognized look of a company. For example, if you see a red bullseye, you may automatically think of Target Stores. If you are a designer working with Target Stores, you better believe you aren’t designing something using predominately blue squares—that’s just not that brand. You want to create something that is consistent and adds to a company’s brand and if you are working with a company that does not have an established brand, you want to create something that works within the views of the company. For example, if I’m working with a brand new music studio start up that wants to focus on traditional country music, I’m not going to give them something that looks like it was made for a pop star.

Consistency is absolutely key if a company wants an audience to recognize them. Recognition also works in a way that creates placement in a persons thought patterns. This recognition and placement can work positively for one company and maybe even negatively for another. For example, some people think that Volvos are some of the safest cars or Chevrolets are gas guzzling machines—positive and negative effects. In another example, a car might try to brand itself as a super safe car, but an audience may feel its safety features aren’t better than a Volvo, so they just end up getting a Volvo.

Once your audience has clamped on to that recognition or that placement, if it’s positive, you want to do everything you can to continue with it. If it’s negative you want to do everything you can to change it. Recognition and placement for brands can end up pushing sales harder than any marketing or advertising plan.

How designers contribute to brand consistency

Design is only a small portion of branding. Creating a super sweet logo and letterhead doesn’t mean a ton if the consumer doesn’t have a great perception of the company. However, good brand design can help build a solid foundation for a brand. If the brand is to be known for their scholastic wealth and achievements, you want to create something that gives off that feeling. If a brand has a product that is designed to make the consumer happy, don’t create or use anything that could do otherwise. Pick an idea or feeling and nail that down as best as possible.

Designers can also contribute to branding through creating work that is consistent with the views and perception of the clients company. Something all designers (and companies, for that matter) must understand is good design equals good quality. When you really brand something in a consumers mind, it can really stand out for ever, for example color schemes and logos are really memorable and help create a good foundation or start of branding. You want to keep this in mind so that you make something that can be EASILY remembered, rather than easily forgotten. When you are working for a company that isn’t quite new and isn’t quite old, just try to create something that follows along with the design and perception that they already have going on. There’s no need to re-invent the wheel (of course unless asked) but you should think of more creative ways to get across the same message they have.

Most of the branding should come from the company—what do they stand for, what do the sell, who do they cater too—so hopefully for a good designer, branding should be a breeze, as far as logos and color schemes go. Designers can also contribute not just by the design but by the way in which the design and/or the company is presented. For example, if a company sells a product that needs packaging, what is the best kind of packaging for that product and how is it designed? Or even simply, should a company have a tri-fold brochure or just a simple sell sheet. Though minute, these things have a ton to do with how a company is perceived and remembered.

Further Reading

Branding isn’t a simple task, but once you really start to research things and understand what your client’s audience is looking for, then you can be extremely successful in this area. If you want to be really great with branding, check out some of these articles:

• Branding, Identity & Logo Design Explained
• A Practical Guide to Branding
• What is a Brand?
• The First Step of Building an Awesome Brand
• Brand, Innovation & Design (Presentation)

For professional and affordable graphic design, feel free to contact us at Farend, for no obligation quotation.

The above article was originally published by Web Designer Depot and can be seen here.

Google+

Unlike Facebook, Google+ is designed to connect strangers, and inspire collaboration and contribution. It has proven to be an amazing platform for promoting ideas, brands and people.

Since its early rollout, Google+ has forced competitors to begin evolving, inspiring platforms such as Facebook and Twitter to develop new ways of thinking about social media and the functionality they offer.

When used correctly, Google+ is a unique and powerful opportunity to widen your reach, professionally or personally. From making your profile pop to mastering your stream, I’ll share 25 of the most useful Google+ Tips and Tricks to get you going.

Your Profile

The first thing to do when joining any new community, is create a provocative profile that inspires viewers to follow you. Your Google+ profile offers several ways for you to tailor your first impression and communicate your personal brand.

1. Keep your “Current” employer unchecked. This allows you to use the “Occupation” field to describe what you do and like. When others hover over your name on their streams or notifications, they will see a “Google Card” containing your profile photo, name and the contents of this field.

2. If you want to set a quote or tagline, click the space under your name instead. Keeping your “Occupation” text concise and descriptive increases the chance someone will circle you and share content you find interesting.

3. Your Profile Photo is linked to a special album in Picasa, the photo management component of Google’s extensive application suite. Curious visitors can click your photo directly from your profile to cycle through the album. This presents a unique opportunity for creating a short visual story about yourself, a flipbook type animation, or hiding a humorous “Easter egg” at the end of a long series of snapshots.

4. Create a mini-portfolio to show off your work or use your “Scrapbook” to devise a clever header graphic. Enter Edit Profile mode click the header area to manage images directly, or use Picasa to upload them to your “Scrapbook.” The order in which they appear is controlled by clicking “Organize” from the album view in Picasa.

5. Add links to your services and contact pages, in addition to linking to your portfolio and social profiles. Google+ is teeming with industry professionals and prospects, and adding these links will make them visible in search results.

Circles

6. Create a set of circles specific to your interests. Think of these as RSS feeds of people you find the most interesting. Your following can grow rapidly, making it difficult to manage your stream and keep up with everything, so this trick will keep you from getting overwhelmed. Drag these to the beginning of the list so they show up first in the stream list on the Home page.

7. Create another set of circles for topics you wish to target to specific groups of people. Use these circles to share content, whereas your first set is only for managing your stream. As you gain new followers, “subscribe” them to topic circles that match their interests. If you can’t tell, check your “Incoming” stream often to see what people are posting.

8. While publishing content to specific circles will help target certain audiences, †consider posting most of your content publicly. Public content encourages new people to follow you, and lets the world know you are active. It will also show up on Google+ stream services you add your profile to, or plugins you install on your website, increasing your ranking and viability.

9. Create specialized circles for bookmarking or sharing content to services such as Evernote or RPC-enabled blogs. Add yourself to the circle, then click “Add a new person” to add your Evernote or RPC email address. When sharing to this circle, don’t forget to click the “notify” box to email the post.

Home Page

The Home page is where you will spend the most time on Google+, unless you are sucked into the new Game feature. From here, you can filter your stream by clicking specific circle links on the left, and use keyboard controls to move around quickly.

10. J will jump from one post to the next, while K will scroll you back up.

11. If your Chat widget is looking a bit lonely, check out How to Chat with People in your Google+ Circle Post like a pro.

12. Click the “Mute this Post” option in the post menu to stop notifications on any post where you have added comments.

13. Click the timestamp to get a quick permalink to a single post.

14. Add a “+” to the beginning of a name to generate a hotlink to their profile in your posts or comments. This will also notify the person that they were mentioned.

15. Format your posts by adding special symbols before and after a word or line of text. For example:
*bold*
_italic_
– strikethrough -

16. Add a poll to a published post by instructing your readers to +1 to vote, and then quickly add comments containing the choices. Afterwards, select “Disable Comments” from your post menu to encourage voting.

Google+ Photos vs. Picasa

This is a feature of Google+ still undergoing major changes and fine-tuning, and if you are not a veteran Picasa user, things may seem a bit disjointed.

17. Drag and drop content from your desktop or the web into the post box for faster sharing.

18. Click the “Create an Album” option when adding images directly to a post. By default, images will be added to a general album otherwise.

19. Share entire albums to Google+ from Picasa by clicking “Share” in the right sidebar. When creating albums, always go into Picasa to uncheck the “Notify” box in the right sidebar, or your circles will be notified every time you add an image.

20. If you don’t like how your albums are appearing on your Photo page, click the album and select “Actions > Album Properties.” Change the album date to manipulate the order in which it appears.

21. If you only want to rename an album, you can do so easily from your Photo page in Google Plus by clicking the album title at the top of the page to edit it. You may also change permissions by clicking the “Visible to” link.

RSS Feeds

22. Grab your RSS feed URL by appending your Google+ profile ID to the end of this URL: http://plusfeed.appspot.com/

23. If you use WordPress, check out Lifestream or the Google+ Social Stream widget.

Your Vanity URL

24. Now that you’ve gotten the hang of Google+, are generating content and gaining a decent following, you probably want to start promoting your profile.

The default profile URL is long and ugly, and while any URL shortener will do, gplus.to and plusya.com offer Google+ specific vanity URL services that may be a better choice.

Plusya provides the added benefit of analytics to give you a detailed view of how your link is used.

Addons & Extensions

25. A host of Google+ add-ons are available for Firefox and Google Chrome that will enhance your Google+ experience. Check out designer Graham Smith’s Google+ Apps collection for a head start.

A few recommendations include the Facebook and Twitter feed extensions (available for both Firefox and Chrome) and the Publish Sync extension for chrome, which allows you share Google+ posts directly to Twitter or Facebook.

To learn more or contribute your own tips, artistic talent or translations, head over to the Google+ Guide Project, a knowledge collaboration made possible by readers like you.

For professional and affordable IT tech support, feel free to contact us at Farend, for no obligation quotation.

The above article was originally published by Web Designer Depot and can be seen here.

Which to purchase—either for yourself or as a gift—depends a lot on the money you have to spend and what you’d like that iPod to do. Do you want an iPod that plays music only—no video? You have exactly two choices (and only one of them has a display). Need an iPod that stores a large chunk of a massive iTunes library right there on the iPod? Apple offers one perfect iPod. How about an iPod that’s equally at home playing games and sending email as it is playing music, podcasts, and movies? You have up to three choices (depending on how particular you are about the device actually bearing the “iPod” name). To help make those choices more clear, let’s look at this (and last) year’s lineup of Apple’s portable media players.

iPod shuffle

Today’s $49 4G iPod shuffle looks very similar to the 2G shuffle of yore but, unlike that earlier iPod model, if you care to you can navigate the device by holding down a VoiceOver button (or pressing the controller on the optional $29 Apple Earphones with Remote and Mic). Doing so causes the iPod to announce the name and artist of the currently playing track. Press and hold the VoiceOver or headphone controller button and the iPod lists all of its playlists.

The nearly square 4G iPod shuffle is offered in a single 2GB capacity. You can fit approximately 500 4-minute songs encoded as 128-kbps AAC in that 2GB of flash storage. It’s available in five colors—silver, blue, green, orange, and pink. Like shuffles before it, this one bears a clip, allowing you to securely attach the thing to your clothing, backpack, or purse. And, like the 2G iPod shuffle, it has no display but rather, on its face, Volume Up, Volume Down, Next/Fast-forward, Previous/Rewind, and Play/Pause buttons.

The mission of the iPod shuffle remains the same. It’s Apple’s least expensive iPod and holds over a day’s-worth of music (again, with music encoded as 128-kbps AAC), making it a solid choice as a workout companion or a careless kid’s first iPod. Although navigable through VoiceOver, there are far easier iPods to operate. And, of course, no display means no videos or extra features that require a display (contacts and calendars, for example).

Best for: Athletes (and wanna-be athletes); kids; those who like to press play and go about their business; anyone seeking a spare, kick-around iPod.

Not for: People looking for easy navigation of their music library; those wanting to carry lots of music; individuals desiring an iPod on which to watch videos.

iPod nano

In 2010 Apple changed the nano’s shape, but, in a turnaround of tradition, the company removed features rather than added them. Specifically, 2009’s Click Wheel fifth-generation (5G) iPod nano could play videos; sported a low-resolution video camera; and could display contacts, calendars, and notes. The 6G iPod nano () has a smaller screen; a touch interface rather than Click Wheel; can’t shoot or display video of any kind; and dispenses entirely with contacts, calendars, and notes. It does, however, include an FM radio capable of buffering 15 minutes of audio, just as did the 5G iPod nano, and it can display still images you sync to it. A software update issued in the fall of 2011 added a number of stylish clock faces to the nano for those who like to wear it as a watch. The iPod nano is now very much a music player and little else.

Available in 8GB ($129) and 16GB ($149) capacities and in seven colors (silver, gray, blue, green, orange, pink and Product Red) the 6G iPod nano is, in some ways, more like a display-bearing iPod shuffle than a successor to the 5G iPod nano. It earns this comparison due to its small size and lack of hardware play controls—you play and navigate through it via on-screen touch controls or with an optional headset that features an inline controller. And for some people—those who want a lightweight, more navigable, higher-capacity iPod for their workouts, for example—that’s perfect. It’s also a cute little thing.

Best for: Exercising iPod owners; older kids who can be trusted to not lose it; public transportation commuters; anyone who wants to carry a reasonable amount of music in a stylish package.

Not for: Individuals desiring an iPod on which to watch videos or keep contacts, calendars, and notes; those who find a touch interface isn’t appropriate for every purpose.

iPod classic

We’ve taken to calling this the “death watch” iPod around the Macworld offices. As the one iPod that still holds a mechanical hard drive—and the model that hasn’t seen an update in several years—we keep waiting for Apple to pull the plug on the thing. And yet, year after year, it lives on. And it does for a compelling reason—if you need a lot of storage (meaning over 100GB), the iPod classic is your only choice.

The $249 iPod classic () is available in silver or black in a single 160GB capacity. It will carry 40,000 4-minute songs encoded at 128-kbps AAC, which works out to a little more than 111 days of continuous music. Additionally, it can play videos and show images on its 2.5-inch color display and hold contacts, calendars, and notes. Nothing new, nothing particularly flashy, just a whole lot of room to store all or the bulk of your media library.

Best for: People who want to take all (or a large portion) of their iTunes media libraries with them.

Not for: Those for whom capacity isn’t as important as an iPod touch’s feature set; the visually impaired and blind, who would find it very difficult to navigate this iPod’s interface.

iPod touch

The fourth-generation (4G) iPod touch is the closest Apple has come to feature parity with the iPhone with its inclusion of front- and rear-facing cameras, FaceTime support, HD video recording, support for the mobile version of Apple’s iMovie, an A4 processor, a Retina display, and a built-in microphone.

While the 4G iPod touch’s and iPhone 4S’s features are similar, they’re not the same. Of course, the iPod touch doesn’t support the iPhone’s phone features—voice calling and text and media messaging. Nor does it include the Siri intelligent assistant feature. It also lacks the iPhone’s GPS circuitry and can’t transfer data over an EDGE or 3G network. And while, like the iPhone 4S, it has a rear-facing camera and a Retina display, the iPod touch’s rear-facing camera is much lower resolution (.7 megapixels versus the iPhone 4S’s 8 megapixels) and the Retina display is not nearly as readable off-angle as that of the iPhone’s display. At the same time, it also doesn’t require a two-year commitment with monthly charges.

The iPod touch comes in three capacities—8GB, 32GB, and 64GB—priced respectively at $199, $299, and $399. These models, in ascending order, hold 1750 128-kbps AAC-encoded songs or 10 hours of video, 7000 songs or 40 hours of video, and 14,000 songs or 80 hours of video. While the iPod touch may not match the capacity of the iPod classic, a 64GB iPod touch that can hold 40 two-hour movies is nothing to sneeze at.

One of the things that makes the touch such a great iPod is the 3.5-inch (diagonal) touchscreen display. Because of its bright and fairly large display, this is the iPod you’ll want to take to bed with you when you’re in the mood for a late-night movie. Unlike with the iPod classic, this is an iPod you can stare at throughout a double-feature without squinting for hours afterwards.

All iPod touches support the creation of Genius playlists and Shake-to-Shuffle, operate as Internet appliances (for Web browsing, email, YouTube, iCloud syncing, and weather and stocks updates over Wi-Fi), include a built-in speaker good enough for FaceTime and game sounds, and let you purchase and download media from the iTunes Store, apps from the App Store, and ebooks from Apple’s iBookstore. They also support iTunes Match. So, while you can store a very large music library on an iPod classic, if you’ve paid Apple $25 a year for iTunes Match, you can access that same media library over a Wi-Fi connection. And even if you haven’t ponied up for iTunes Match, with a Wi-Fi connection you can redownload purchased music, apps, TV shows, and ebooks you’ve purchased from Apple’s online stores.

Access to these stores and iCloud media is one of the primary attractions of the iPod touch. With iTunes Store access, you can acquire media on the go (provided the place you go has Wi-Fi). This is highly convenient when you’re sitting in an airport between flights and wish to download an album, TV episode, or movie—if you’re sure you’re connected to a very fast Wi-Fi network—for the next leg of your journey. Just as convenient is grabbing a free or low-cost game from the App Store that helps you while away the hours in coach. And if you need something to read, the iBookstore and the iPod touch’s Retina display make it easy to do.

Best for: Those who want to enjoy most of the advantages of add-on applications, the iTunes Store, the iBookstore, Wi-Fi access to the Internet (and all that comes with it, including iTunes Match), an always-with-you still and video camera, FaceTime, and portable video, but don’t need a phone.

Not for: Those looking for an exercise-only iPod—it’s a little bulky and, with its glass screen, you don’t want to drop it on a locker room’s tile floor or the jogging trail. People seeking the best retina display and rear-facing camera Apple offers in a portable device.

The other guys

Although this is a buying guide for iPods, it’s possible you or your lucky gift-recipient-to-be might want another Apple device that can also act as an iPod—specifically, an iPhone or iPad. So in the interest of no device left behind, here’s a look at your other Apple options.

iPhone 4S In the context of an iPod shoppers guide, this is one of the rare times when you get to discuss the iPhone while downplaying its phone functionality—what it brings to the table as an iPod. And the answer to that lies very much in areas where the iPod touch either entirely or inadequately fails to deliver.

Again, the iPhone 4S ()—available in black or white and in 16GB ($199), 32GB ($299), and 64GB ($399) capacities—has a better rear-facing camera and Retina display than the touch. Its EDGE and 3G connectivity mean not only that you can make calls from anywhere its carrier deigns to allow, but also access the Internet. GPS circuitry lets you know where you are at all times (and the Compass app tells you which direction you’re facing, although maybe not which way the wind is blowing). It has a far better speaker than the touch. And, via Siri, you can command it to do your bidding.

That means that, as a media player, you have the opportunity to access streaming media (from Netflix, Pandora, Last.fm, Rhapsody, Spotify, Rdio, and Mog, for example) even when out of reach of an accessible Wi-Fi network. It also expands your wireless options for downloading music, podcasts, books, and apps from Apple’s emporiums. And, like the iPod touch and iPad, it supports iTunes Match, allowing you access to your media in the cloud.

But, as ever, the iPhone is a tricky holiday gift. When you give someone an iPhone, you saddle them with a two-year commitment. If he or she is an existing customer of a particular carrier—AT&T, Verizon, or Sprint—that’s not too terrible. But if the object of your holiday affection needs to switch carriers in order to have an iPhone, your gift becomes a burden.

If you’re determined to purchase an iPhone 4S as a gift, you’ll find that it’s easier to do than it once was. In-store purchase is no longer required. You can now have an iPhone delivered to you and activate it online. Or you can purchase an iPhone Gift Card from the online Apple Store. Although the right and proper thing to do would be to fill the card with the purchase price of a new iPhone, you’re welcome to choose any amount you like from $25 to $2500.

iPad 2 The iPad is Apple’s best way to enjoy music and video in a portable package. It is because of its large 9.7-inch, 1024-by-768-pixel touchscreen, decent internal speaker, and, on some models, the option to use a 3G network.

The iPad 2 () is available in two models—the iPad 2 with Wi-Fi and the iPad 2 with Wi-Fi + 3G. It’s available in black or white. Each comes in three capacities—16GB, 32GB, and 64GB. The Wi-Fi-only models cost $499, $599, and $699, respectively. And the Wi-Fi + 3G models, which uses AT&T or Verizon’s network, add $130 to each price—so $629, $729, and $829. AT&T offers two month-to-month data plans for the 3G model—250MB of data for $15 a month or 2GB of data for $25 a month. Verizon’s plans are priced at $20 for 1GB of data, $35 for 3GB, $50 for 5GB, and $80 for 10GB.

The iPad’s large display means the best video viewing experience on a portable iOS device. Whether you’re watching video stored on the iPad or streamed via an application such as Netflix or Hulu Plus, you get a picture that you needn’t squint to see, and one large enough that you and a friend can watch together. (Yes, the speaker is good and loud enough that you usually don’t need headphones or an external speaker for such casual viewing.)

It’s also a quite fine ebook reader. Sweetening the pot is the number of free ebooks available through Apple’s iBookstore and from Project Gutenberg. And because the iBooks app supports PDF files, you can load your iPad with such files for work and pleasure. And, of course, there are the countless apps you can get from Apple’s App Store.

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The above article was originally published by Mac World and can be seen here.