Yet we live in a society that appreciates homogeneity. That is, we want things to be the same. That’s one reason the iPhone has fared so well. It raises an interesting question: will one Android manufacturer stand out and win most of the market?

The Big Four

Even now, with any manufacturer capable of installing the Android OS on its handsets, separation exists in the market. Much like the U.S. wireless industry, there is a BIg Four in Android manufacturers: Samsung, Motorola, HTC, and LG. All four of these companies have been largely successful with Android, and chances are none will break off of the platform any time soon. That could mean trouble for smaller manufacturers.

The dominance of this Big Four makes it increasingly difficult for other companies to gain a significant market share. Lesser known manufacturers, such as Huawei and ZTE, have made great efforts to enter the smartphone market by installing Android on high- and low-end devices. While they’ve found some success, it has mostly been with smaller carriers. Their lack of brand name recognition hurts them with the larger market.

The already established power of these four manufacturers could keep out newcomers in the same way that the power of Android and iOS have pushed out, and kept out, alternative platforms such as BlackBerry and Windows Mobile. From there, the market could narrow.

Samsung’s dominance

The year 2011 was a landmark one for Samsung. It started the year as the world’s fourth-largest smartphone producer, but ended up on top, passing Research In Motion, Apple, and long-time market leader Nokia along the way. Unsurprisingly, Samsung also ships more Android-powered handsets than any other manufacturer. Even at the smallest U.S. carrier, there are plenty of T-Mobile Samsung cell phones on display. They have entered essentially every portion of the smartphone market.

As Saul Alinksy describes in Rules for Radicals, power is not a static concept. Power is always moving, and no entity can hold a consistent amount of power. One is either gaining or losing power. As such, Samsung will have to continue gaining power, despite its current market lead, if it plans to remain atop the smartphone sales charts. Since the other three manufacturers hold the lion’s share of the remaining power, Samsung will have to pull from them. And therein we could see Samsung move towards becoming the single Android manufacturer.

Of course, it’s not as simple as that. As Microsoft taught us in the 80s, the power lies with the platform developer, not the hardware manufacturer. Samsung has long been developing its Bada operating system, and could move in that direction as to avoid becoming a commodity manufacturer. There’s also a matter of another high-powered manufacturer.

Google and Motorola

Last year Google turned heads when it agreed to acquire Motorola Mobility. While Motorola had spun off its mobile unit with an eye on a sale, it seemed odd for Google to make that acquisition. At the time, many pundits speculated that Google desired a move towards the Apple model, wherein one entity controls the hardware and software. Yet that does not appear to be the case, at least for the time being.

Google claimed that it bought Motorola for its patent portfolio. Considering the ludicrous number of technology lawsuits currently in court, acquiring these patents certainly provides benefit to Google. Further demonstrating Google’s lack of desire to become another Apple in the smartphone market: they reportedly offered to sell Motorola’s handset manufacturing division to Huawei. That’s a pretty clear sign that they’re not into the manufacturing thing.

More platforms in the future

One thing that could throw a wrench in this entire idea is the development of two more mobile platforms. Research In Motion made waves recently when they company demonstrated its BlackBerry 10 platform. We will see those handsets later this year. Microsoft has made a big push with Windows Phone as well. With Nokia signed on, Microsoft could certainly make progress in the mobile market.

If RIM and Microsoft find success, what’s to stop Samsung from going all-in with Bada? After all, they are the largest smartphone manufacturer in the world, so they do hold some cards. If they see others cutting into Android’s and iOS’s market shares, they could choose to pursue a more sovereign path. Then again, the allure of free licensing from Android could keep them tethered to the Google platform.

The future of smartphones seems up in the air. With smartphones spreading far and wide, into previously unexplored markets, we’ll get a better idea of where the lines will be drawn. In the future there is a strong chance that we see just one Android manufacturer. It might not be Samsung, but one company will move to control the power in the Android environment. It’s just a matter of time.

Joe Pawlikowski writes and edits many technology blogs across the net. He writes about telecommuting and other work-from-home topics at his personal blog, A New Level.

This app detects nearby electromagnetic fields using the phone’s built-in magnetometer/compass. Depending on your phone, you can use it to detect metals up to 15cm away, and magnets from far, far away! Note that household equipment like TVs, and computers or even your phone case can affect readings.

How to use this app?

Very simple, just move the app around and read the measurements, if the magnetic field readings go over a critical level, the phone will vibrate, meaning a ferromagnetic material is nearby.

If the readings seems to be off, it means that your sensors needs to be re-calibrated, click the re-calibration button (refresh icon) for instructions.

You might wonder what you can do with this app, except the obvious metal detecting business.

Features:

-Displays the field strength in microtesla, milligauss or in gamma.

-Works through walls! Detect hidden electrical wires.

-Export the data to a CSV file

-Vibration alarm

-Free and No Ads

-Option to force screen on to prevent screen from closing

-A historical chart

-Optimized for Ice Cream Sandwich/Holo theme

-Full-fledged preferences menu to tweak the app to your needs!

-Metal detector!

-Works on Android 2.1and up!

The app looks great on ICS, with a native feel to it. It’s also free of bloat like Payware or ads, completely free!

But there are already a ton of metal finders on Play, you might say. But a lot of them carry an outdated interface, or just look bad, or full of ads. There are also some great comparable apps out there, but a little competition can’t hurt .

For download/screenshots, check it out at Google Play Here!

Happy metal hunting!

One problem that I have encountered while setting up one of these computers to use as a server is that the VNC sessions were forced into the mere resolution of 1024×768, with no way to change it. I tried a few tricks on the Internet, but none of them seemed to do anything.

At last I figured that I have to manually edit the xorg.conf file in order to force the system into outputting in a specific resolution. For your information, I am doing this under Ubuntu 11.10, although I believe the trick will work on any Linux system running X.

First, fire up your preferred terminal program, then type:

sudo gedit /etc/X11/xorg.conf

Of course, you can replace gedit with another text editor like nano.

Now add the following lines into the (usually) blank file:

Section “Device”
Identifier “Default Device”
Option “NoLogo” “True”
EndSection

Section “Monitor”
Identifier “Configured Monitor”
EndSection

Section “Screen”
Identifier “Default Screen”
Monitor “Configured Monitor”
Device “Default Device”
SubSection “Display”
Depth 24
Virtual 1366 768
EndSubSection
EndSection

Replace

Virtual 1366 768

With the resolution you want.

Now restart the computer and voilà, VNC connections should now be displayed in the resolution you’ve set it to.

Pros

Easy one-stop management. Once you configure the multi-site installation, you can manage all your blogs from one control panel. You don’t need to upload each new installation. The multi-site option is more convenient and saves you a great deal of time setting up and maintaining new blogs.
Multi-site updates. The multi-site configuration allows you to update your WordPress software for all your sites at once since you are only using one installation. Not only can you update your WordPress software for all sites at once, but you can also update all your themes, plug-ins and widgets at once.
Single SQL database to maintain. You don’t need to create backup files for each of your sites individually. Since you only have one SQL database to maintain, you can create one backup folder for all your sites at once.
One-time plug-in installation. Anything that you install for the multi-site configuration can be applied to all the sites under its  umbrella. That means that if you install a new plug-in or other tool, you can apply it to all your sites at once, rather than having to upload it for each site individually. You choose which sites to apply each update. This saves you a great deal of time on both development and maintenance.

Cons

Complicated set up. If you’re a relative beginner to WordPress or to coding, you may have a hard time understanding the multi-site configuration. The set up is more complicated and so may require more study or assistance than the one-site installation. There are multiple tutorials, including this one (http://codex.wordpress.org/Migrating_Multiple_Blogs_into_WordPress_3.0_Multisite) from WordPress and this one (http://wptheming.com/2010/03/wordpress-3-0-enable-network/) from WP Theming. This video tutorial (http://www.webdesigncompany.net/wordpress-3-multisite-setup/) is also one of several available.
Compatibility issues. Not all themes and plug-ins were created for use on a multi-site configuration. Therefore, you may not be able to carry over some of the themes or plug-ins that you have chosen for your sites. You should check to see if the multi-site configuration is supported for the tools you have selected. Otherwise, you may have to search out new themes or plug-ins for use on those sites.
Mapping issues. When you designate the sites on your multi-site installation, they are created as subdomains or subdirectories on the main site. You can then use a plug-in or other method for pointing those subdomains or subdirectories at a primary domain name. This can be complicated for those with only a beginner level understanding of web hosting, or it can be an inconvenience for others.
There are many pros and cons to choosing the WordPress multisite installation. The number of sites you maintain, your purpose for those sites, and the extent of your knowledge of or experience with WordPress will determine whether this option is a good choice for you. Have you used WordPress multisite? What are your thoughts? Would you recommend it to others?

About the Author:

Heather Green is a freelance writer for several regional magazines in North Carolina as well as a resident blogger for onlinenursingdegrees.org. Her writing experience includes fashion, business, health, agriculture and a wide range of other topics. Heather has just completed research on healthcare admin programs and online physical therapy aide programs.

Firstly, you will need to decide what form of storage you wish to utilise. There are numerous different methods and each of them has both benefits and disadvantages.

• Block Stacking is the cheapest and most easily established method of storing blocks. The pallets are stored in blocks around the warehouse floor by an overhead crane or fork lift trucks. The height to which they can be stacked depends on the load and condition of the pallets in use. When using this method, access to pallets at the bottom of the pile will be restricted by the other pallets around and on top of it. This method necessitates a first in, last out process.
• Pallet Racking is a cheap and efficient method of storing pallets. This system works through the storage of pallets on a frame which allows stacking up to 11 metres high and provides access to all of the pallets at once. This method requires a large amount of space as forklifts need to be able to manoeuvre freely in between the rows. Having access to any of the pallets at any time will increase efficiency, however.
• Double Deep Racking is another method of frame storage which differs because it stores two pallets in each section of the frame instead of one. This system requires a double length fork lift, which requires greater expertise to use, but will increase the efficiency of space. Larger spaces may be needed between the frames because of the complexity of manoeuvring a double length fork lift truck.
• There are further methods of pallet storage which could be implemented in a warehouse but these three options are the cheapest and most space efficient for anything but an enormous company.

Once you have decided upon the method of storage you are going to use, it is vital to consider the safety of your warehouse. When using fork lifts and cranes, people in your warehouse need to be aware of abnormal dangers from above and all around. To create a safe environment it is important to clearly mark dangerous areas:

• Have signs highlighting use of dangerous equipment on all entrances.
• Make safety equipment obligatory when entering the warehouse regardless of intentions.
• Mark clear pathways for fire escape and passage through the warehouse. There should never be anything obstructing these pathways.

Safety should always be considered and any changes made to the warehouse should immediately trigger a safety training program and a development of the safety procedures. Safety is an ongoing element, not a once off review.

The management of the warehouse is very important. There needs to be an individual, or a group of managers, who are in charge of all processes and are always supervising when the warehouse is in operation. If you are running a business then you will not have time to manage a warehouse floor at all times, so be sure to seek managerial expertise to organise the safety and day to day operations of the warehouse.

Web Apps with a Desktop Feel

Developers are quickly embracing these open web languages that let them create elegant web apps and games. Their audience for these apps and games are likewise becoming addicted to the always on nature of the web and are expecting these types of experience across all of their platforms and devices. The time and cost it would take to port these web apps to the desktop is most often not worth the effort. The additional work of maintaining multiple branches of code for bug fixes and updates makes this effort out of reach for most independent developers and can add significant costs for the larger ones. The promise of app stores bringing a much needed streamlined experience to the desktop has developers looking again to the desktop as a large untapped market for their web apps and games.

Giving Users What They Want

Users want what users want. They like the connected nature of the web but also the experience of the dedicated desktop application. Breaking the web apps and games out of the browser and delivering that desktop experience is the perfect combination of chocolate and peanut butter. New application platforms like Pokki and AppUp are bringing some much needed experience upgrades to the desktop in the arena and discovery and simple installation of apps. Future promises from the likes of Amazon and Microsoft hope to pump more life back into the neglected desktop. Developers are hoping to cash in on this trend and already starting to take their web apps and games out of the browser and onto these platforms to reach new users and increase engagement with their audiences.

Where HTML5 Can Take You

The hope and promise of moving to these open web languages is that finally the developer can write once and run everywhere. With minor adjustments for UI and small tweaks for each platform the developer will be able to take advantage of native hardware acceleration and environmental options that allow their app to thrive on any given platform. From mobile, to tablet, to desktop, to web, these apps will be able to take advantage of each platform’s strengths all the while delivering the experience the user wants and just where they want it.

Ben Cote is head of community marketing at Pokki where he loves
to play with disruptive technology. Ben lives in the intersection of technology and media and is a highly
sought after speaker making presentations at SXSW Interactive, Sundance, Slamdance, Picnic, Comic
Con and more. Developers can leverage the Pokki platform for HTML5 development to easily build and deploy applications.

This software will give you absolutely everything you need to take your musical idea and turn it into a professional Electronic music composition. It will give you everything you need to start your music making journey from the ground up with appropriate tutorials and easy to use interface. Once you get to their website, look it over and take a peek at the demo. Check out what other users say about it, and take a look at all of the features that this wonderful piece of equipment has to offer. Go through the step-by-step video training. It only takes a few minutes and you will already have music recorded by the time you finish. As soon as you are satisfied with your Electronic music recording, this wonderful software can offer it for sale on your behalf! Yep, thats true, it also offers an option to sell your own music creations online! Then they will link you to online contests where you can compete with other Electronic music makers. Both of these services can generate some nice revenue for you and possibly get you noticed by someone important in the music biz. Now, wouldnrsquo;t that be cool? There are also a lot of online tutorials on their website for you to use any time you might need them. Their online support is also to of the class.

This software will make sure that you always have the latest updates to your software so that it is always current with the new trends and developments. Your professional Electronic music maker will stay current with all of the professional applications you may need to use in the future. If you really want a professional music career creating your own Electronic music, there has never been a better time to get started. The sooner you start, the sooner you might be the next big radio hit maker.

This software’s components add up to a fully equipped recording and production studio just like the professionals use. The difference is that yours is on your personal PC, you can take it anywhere you go and it doesnrsquo;t cost hundreds of thousands of dollars. Has the cost of a music career been putting you out of the running? No more; one software will get you all the resources you need to record, produce and maybe get a foot in door in the music business. The software I am talking about is very impressive in terms of the quality of the product it delivers and the options it offers for all genres of music making. You really do have to see it to believe it!

Want to learn more about that software? My name is Josh Branch, I am one of the editors at beatmaking-software.net. If you want to learn more about the software, then by all means follow this link: learn more about the software.
I am also a freelance writer on various technology related topics. As a young web entrepreneur, I am always eager for new challenges.

What are SOPA and PIPA?

pThe two bills currently circulating in the US are designed to protect intellectual property. They are supported by large media corporations including the MPAA (Motion Picture Association of America), RIAA (Recording Industry Association of America), and a number of manufacturing companies including Nike. They claim that these bills are needed to protect their intellectual property and trademarks.
The argument by supporters of the bills is that their intellectual property (films, songs, images, trademarks etc.) are spread across the internet for free without risk of punishment and want to bring in stricter controls to stop piracy and breach of copyright. That all sounds fair enough ndash; after all it is illegal to distribute copied goods both on the internet or in person ndash; however opponents of the bills claim a number of chilling side effects will occur including:

Loss of Free Speech

America is the lsquo;Land of the Freersquo; right? Well, many opponents of SOPA and PIPA (including Wikipedia) claim that if either bill is passed then the US will begin to resemble China and North Korea by restricting the flow of free information and deciding who sees what. Sites such as Wikipedia are not condoning copyright infringement (although many sites are) but are claiming that the bills will give legislators the power to shut down or bury sites that only spread licensed information. The main argument is that the internet should not silence free speech simply to gratify rightowners.

Harsh Measures for Small Crimes

At the time of writing this blog, a 23-year-old British student is fighting his extradition to the US to face piracy charges for running a website that linked to other sites offering pirated content. The student did not link to the pirated content himself and there is no proof he even watched or used any of it but even linking to other sites that link to pirated material is currently a crime in the U.S. Richard Orsquo;Dwyerrsquo;s defence is that he hasnrsquo;t broken any British law but this has been rejected and it is highly likely he will be extradited.

Opponents of SOPA and PIPA believe cases like this will increase dramatically if the bills are passed as the U.S. scours the globe trying to find people who are breaking their copyright laws and so costing the big media companies money. How far will they go to prosecute people for sharing links, images and content? It has also been claimed sites such as Wikipedia, Twitter and YouTube could be shut down if people are sharing copyrighted content. At the moment they are self-moderated and try to take down content as soon as possible, but this doesnrsquo;t seem enough for the backers of SOPA and PIPA who want to be able to use their own measures.

What do you think about SOPA and PIPA? Protecting against internet piracy and the illegal spread of intellectual property or is the U.S. Government considering bowing to the commercial interests of media corporations at the cost of free speech?

This article was written by Silicon Beach Training, lovers of the internet. Our SEO Training and Social Media Training courses in Brighton only teach ethical practices that won’t have you extradited to the U.S. on piracy charges.

There are several benefits to producing promotional pens;

• They are flexible in use.
• Producing pens is inexpensive
• They last a long time.
• They create goodwill.
•  They are easy to distribute.

1. Promotional pens are used in many ways.

Promotional pens are very flexible. Pens are widely used common objects which appeal to people of all ages. This broadens their reach. A pen which is clearly labelled with a company’s information is therefore likely to be exposed to a very wide audience and thus increase the range of potential consumers.

2. Promotional pens are inexpensive.

Most printing services can produce promotional pens at a reasonable price. A bulk order will provide a large number of pens to distribute and ensure that the advertising budget is not exceeded. The production of a bulk lot will ensure that the items will be available for a long period of time and will not be outdated. The pen is therefore an economically viable method of advertising

3. Pens are reused.

A pen is an object that is long lasting. It will be reused by a potential customer. This ensures that the information printed upon it will be seen repeatedly. This repeated exposure enhances brand awareness amongst a large audience.

4. An everyday item creates goodwill.

Printing the company’s details on a pen will be an effective way to increase goodwill amongst customers and vendors. Goodwill is essential to a profitable company. The pen is an object of value to a customer and this value is transferred to the company that provided it.

5. Distribution is easy.

A printed pen is easily distributed. Distribution of advertising material is always a problem. However, a pen, due to its size and easy portability is easily distributed. A box of pens will weigh a small amount. It is easy to hire some students for rush hour to distribute pens to passersby. This ease of distribution will save on costs and improve the effectiveness of promotion.

When creating pens it is imperative to be aware of the targeted audience. If the business is a stationery business then a pen is an ideal promotional item. However, distributing a pen to advertise a product targeted at computer users may not be an effective use of resources. Market research is an essential component of advertising and promotion.

A promotional pen can be a useful tool for a business. Pens are easily distributed, inexpensive and valued by the consumer. They increase goodwill and provide a long lasting advertisement for a company. Their utility and wide appeal makes them an ideal advertising tool for many different types of businesses.

Computer and Information Systems Manager:
This position is exactly as it is titled. A computer and information systems manager is responsible for the computers and technology of large corporations, hospitals and even schools. Everything that has to do with the network, information and data being transferred, or the gadgets used by the company is under the computer and information systems manager’s umbrella of responsibility. In addition to the technology, the manager is responsible for managerial duties for that department, which means a lot of paperwork.

The last average salary surveyed for this position was just a little over $100,000. This of course could be more based on your education, concentration of study, experience, and the company you get hired onto. The minimum education usually required for this position is a Bachelor’s degree or an MBA with a focus on technology.

Computer and Information Scientist:
If you want to be the person who not only works on a computer but also builds the computer and the software that runs it, then the computer and information scientist is the position you want. These scientists have the opportunity to use robotics and virtual reality to design and build new computers and software. This is an in depth position that requires a lot of education, experience and creativity.

At $94,000 a year, this position can be obtained with a Master’s degree; however a Doctorate is highly suggested and will give you the position at a much larger company.

Professional Hacker:

If busting through firewalls, wireless security, and encrypted servers gets you excited, you can actually make a career out of it. Ethical hackers are hired to help companies test their security, find holes and flaws, and suggest how to secure them. They also help law enforcement and government agencies in tracking down criminals through computer activities and prevent hacking. This is a career that can be fulfilling and exciting.

Starting salary for an ethical hacker is on average $85,000 a year with a required Bachelor’s degree in computer science or information technology.

Computer Software Engineer:

If you like punching code all day, you may want to consider a career as a computer software engineer. This position offers all kinds of software creation from small programs, to large operating systems, even video games. Anything that is code based running on computer hardware can be created by a computer software engineer. This position does however require continuing education and updating your skill sets as new program languages emerge and technology progresses.

The starting salary for this position runs an average of $84,000 annually. However, it can be much more based on your education. As a Bachelor’s degree is the minimum requirement, having multiple degrees in several fields could allow your starting salary to be much more, along with more responsibilities. The company you work for will also play a large part in your salary. Microsoft would pay you more than your local hospital would to create software.

Computer Programmer:

One step below a software engineer is the computer programmer. This position will have you writing code and creating a variety of programs to be used on an operating system without actually having to create the operating system. You can be hired to create everything from a customer service program, a point of sales software, or even new media player software for mobile gadgets. The possibilities are vast.

With a starting salary of $65,000 a year, the computer programmer is one of the few positions where you can be hired with only an Associate’s degree, however, a Bachelor’s degree is preferred and will of course yield a higher starting salary.

Computers are the basis of society today and will continue to become more involved in the future. Companies are looking for highly educated employees to help lead the way. If you are considering a career in the computer field, take the time to choose which position would meet your interests more and pursue it. With constant change in computers and technology, expect an array of continued education even deep in your career.

Author Isaac Stone writes for Best Computer Science Degrees, a site with detailed information and lists of the best online computer science schools available.