When it comes to mobile devices like tablets and smartphones, there is an abundance of technical terms and jargon thrown around, often confusing average users. A common term seen on many blogs and mobile carriers’ websites in relation to tablets is tethering. If you have an Android tablet, do you know what tethering is?

Here is an overview of tethering. It focuses on Android tablets, but this process be applied to almost any Android device.

What exactly is tethering? You've probably seen this term mentioned in marketing collateral or contracts from your mobile provider, or heard users talk about it. In the most basic sense, tethering is sharing one device's Internet or data connection with another. The most common type of tethering you will see is someone using their smartphone's data connection to surf the Internet on their computer or tablet.

When it comes to tethering on Android devices, there are three main options:

• Portable Wi-Fi hotspot - Turns your device into a Wi-Fi router, allowing it to share its data connection with up to five other devices.
• Bluetooth - Shares the device's data connection with one device over Bluetooth.
• USB - Shares the device's data connection with one device, usually a computer.

A word of warning: As you share connections, the speed of the data will be diminished. Some devices are also data hungry, and if you have a set amount of data each month, you will likely use it up. If you go over the amount, you may be in for a bit of a shock when you see your next bill.

Can I tether on my tablet? Technically all Android tablets and devices can share their connection as long as they can connect to mobile data. The ability to tether actually hinges on the provider of the data connection - some allow it, others don't while some will apply extra charges. Before you try to tether any device, you should check with your device's data/mobile provider to ensure tethering is allowed. As a rule of thumb: If you are already paying for a data connection with a set amount of bandwidth (e.g., 2GB a month), tethering is likely ok.

Because many Android tablets don't have a mobile data connection, most users will likely share their smartphone's connection with their tablet. If you have a smartphone with a data plan, tethering will depend on your phone as the tablet just sees an Internet connection.

How do I share my data connection? If you have a smartphone with a data connection and would like to share it with your tablet, you have a couple of options:

For iPhone/iPad (with a data connection) users

1. Open Settings on your phone.
2. Tap on General followed by Network.
3. Select Personal Hotspot followed by Wi-Fi Password.
4. Set the Wi-Fi password and select Done.
5. Slide the button beside Personal Hotspot from Off to On.
6. On your Android device, open the Wi-Fi settings and look for the network with the iPhone's name. Tap on it and enter the password you set above. It should connect within a few seconds.

For Android users

1. Open your phone's Settings app.
2. Press More under Wireless & Networks (Android 4.2)
3. Tap on Tethering & portable hotspot.
4. Select Set up Wi-Fi hotspot and enter a network name under Network SSID.
5. Enter a password under the Password section and press Save.
6. Select Portable Wi-Fi hotspot and the device will create a wireless network.
7. On your tablet, open the Wi-Fi settings and look for the name you have set in the Network SSID field above. By default it's Android AP.

It would be a good idea to use a password when setting up tethering to ensure that no one will be able to connect to your network without your permission.

If you are looking for more ways to get your Android tablet online or wondering how a tablet can help you, contact us today.

'Note to self: Call Jane in the morning regarding Tuesday's conference call.' We've all made little mental notes like this, many of which we will forget about. Traditionally, we would write the reminder down on a sticky-note, or in a daytimer. But now, you can use your mobile device to record the note. If you have an Android tablet, there are some neat apps that can help store your thoughts and notes.

Here's three note apps that different users will find useful:

Google Keep For users who are integrated with Google; using Google Drive, Gmail, etc., Keep is a recently released note app that allows you to create notes and lists. You can also attach voice reminders, pictures and change the color of each note.

What separates this app from others is that it syncs your notes automatically with Google Drive, which means you can access, edit and manage the notes from any system. The mobile app looks great, as it follows Google's new 'clean' look with lots of white space. Notes are added to the main screen as thumbnails with the main content featured in the image. If you use Google's apps, this is a great addition that you will likely find useful. Free on Google Play.

OneNote Mobile If your office uses Microsoft Office, or Office 365, you may have already used OneNote. The mobile version lets you create notes and lists with bullet points, checkboxes, text and pictures. You can sync these notes with your SkyDrive account, or your Office 365 ID - they should both be the same ID - and have access to them on nearly every device including your desktop.

If you use OneNote on your desktop or browser, you will be able to view and open these notes using the mobile app and vice versa. Free for 500 notes on Google Play. If you want to create more than 500 notes, there is an in-app upgrade cost that varies depending on your account.

Evernote If you use multiple mobile and desktop platforms, or aren't picky about an app's integration with existing systems, Evernote should be right up your alley.

Like Google Keep, this app lets you create notes and lists, and also add voice reminders and pictures. The ability to search your notes for keywords is also included, which makes this app useful if you take a large quantity of notes.

The key distinguishing feature of this app is that it isn't just for one system. You can install versions on nearly every platform e.g., iOS, Windows Phone, BlackBerry, Windows, Mac, Linux, Chrome, Firefox, etc. And your notes will be synced as long as you have an Internet connection. This makes it perfect for the business owner who has a Windows PC in the office, an iPhone and an Android tablet. Free on Google Play.

These are just three potential note apps that you can use on your Android tablet. Do you use other ones? Let us know.

Social media has become an important part of any business's marketing strategy. By having an active presence on the main networks, you will likely see increased sales or at the very least an increase in brand recognition. So, while social media is an invaluable marketing tool, there are also other departments which could benefit from it.

Below are four non-marketing oriented uses of social media that businesses could benefit from.

Hiring LinkedIn is a social network dedicated to helping professionals and organizations connect and find jobs and new talent. Most social savvy companies will have a presence on this network and may even hire exclusively from here.

If you are looking for new employees, it wouldn't hurt to have a LinkedIn profile. To find the best talent, you need to forge and maintain connections (usually starting with people you know), and be somewhat active in groups and on message boards.

It's also important to not forget the other major networks when it comes to hiring. Tweeting a job opening on Twitter, or posting ads on Facebook could also help you find your next employee. Facebook can be particularly useful because you can pay to target ads (in this case, job openings) at specific demographics.

Internal communications Communication is an important part of business, and most people choose to communicate using email. You have probably seen emails with jokes, invitations to after work events, lunch orders, etc. sent to the whole company and also received the many replies that go with it. This can get very annoying, and also confusing.

Why not utilize social media for non-essential (aka. not related to work) communication. Set up a Facebook group where your employees can share content, invitations to lunch or after work gatherings, interesting stories, etc. That way you can limit email to more important, business-related aspects.

Using social media for internal communication is also beneficial for companies with younger workers. Most already see Facebook, Twitter, etc. as their main form of communication, some even feel more comfortable communicating over this medium as opposed to speaking out in meetings. Having a group portal or Facebook page could give less-empowered employees a way to voice their ideas, and maybe even improve on them with feedback from others.

Learning A common complaint of many business owners is that they have a tough time staying on top of ever-changing trends and what currently interests their customers. Using social media to connect with your customers can be a great way to learn not only hot trends but also about new ideas.

Customer service When it comes to social media, users will often complain publicly on their wall or through their tweets. This is bad for you, as the reach of this complaint can go a long way and make you look bad. Some companies have decided to confront this head on by having specific customer service accounts. If a customer complains, has an issue, or even compliments you, be active and respond using that account.

If done properly, over time, you will see more and more people reaching out to your customer service account through social media. This also gives you another way to please clients or turn around negative customer experiences.

Social media and the various platforms are not only great for marketing, but can be incredibly useful for other business functions. Do you have any other ways you use social media? Let us know. Or, if you would like to learn more about how it can help your company, then contact us today.

The tablet is arguably the most popular technical device of the past two years. There are currently two major tablet systems: iOS on the iPad, and Android. Android tablets are made by numerous manufacturers and are nearly a dime a dozen. One Android product line you hear about more than any other is Nexus. While most users know that Nexus exists many are unclear about what exactly it is.

To begin with, devices labeled with Nexus are Google branded phones and tablets made by different manufacturers that often come in different sizes. Below is a brief overview of the different types of Nexus devices, how they differ from other Android devices based on hardware and software, plus how to buy them.

Nexus devices As noted above: Nexus devices carry the Google brand. Flip one over and you will see the Google logo featured prominently on the back. What this means is that in countries like the US and Canada, the device is sold through Google's website. Google does not manufacture these devices, instead relying on companies like Samsung, Asus and LG to produce them.

There are currently three Nexus devices available from the Google store: The Nexus 4 - a 4-inch smartphone made by LG; Nexus 7 - a 7-inch tablet made by Asus; and the Nexus 10 - a 10-inch tablet made by Samsung. You can still find older devices like the Galaxy Nexus, Nexus S, etc. available from a variety of different cell providers.

Nexus hardware Google views the release of a specific Nexus device as what Android devices should be. This means they have near top-of-the-line components and are often considered high-end when they are released. It's easy to think of the them as the benchmark - hardware wise - for the other Android devices, up to a year after the release.

Because of the large number of manufacturers turning out Android tablets and phones, you can bet that any device, Nexus included, will soon be surpassed by another in a matter of months. However, most tablets are powerful enough that users often don't notice the difference, so there's really no need to worry about bigger and better with the Nexus - at least not for a year or two.

Nexus software Where the Nexus models excel is software. Google's Android OS is now in it's eleventh version, yet most users are still using devices with versions from 2011 and 2012. This fragmentation happens largely because manufacturers apply their own OS layout that needs to be updated when Google releases a new version of Android. This can take months.

Nexus machines receive OS updates a few days to a month after Google releases them. This means that for at least two years they will be running the latest version. These devices also don't have custom layouts, so you get a 'pure' Android experience, or as Google calls it 'Vanilla Android'.

In other words, if you want a device that runs the latest and greatest software and OS, Nexus is the way to go.

Buying a Nexus As Nexus devices are considered high-end, you might think that the devices come with a high-end cost too. That's not 100% true though. For example, the Nexus 7 tablet is sold at cost (USD$199 for the 8GB version). In comparison, the iPad Mini starts at over USD$300. In general, Nexus devices retail at an affordable cost for the intended market. If you are looking for a high-end Android tablet, the Nexus is one of the best value devices on the market.

That being said, if you have a set budget, and aren't worried about a device running the latest and greatest version of Android, you shouldn't feel pressured to get a Nexus. There are many Android devices out there that could meet your needs and budget. Not to mention that almost all apps on the Google Play store will run on a large variety of devices, so you can still access the same apps.

If you have your heart set on a Nexus then check out the Nexus store. For those who can't access this, many big electronics stores also offer the devices, often at the same price as the Google store. To learn more about Android and your business, why not give us a shout? We'll be happy to sit down and have a chat.

Business Intelligence (BI) has become a major aspect of business, as such, companies large and small are adopting implementing BI projects. The problem is, this can cause concern regarding job safety among other things. These “myths” can quickly spiral out of control and demoralize a whole office or company. In order for this not to happen, you should be aware of the common myths related to BI.

Myth #1: BI will replace experienced judgment Managers and users often perceive that a BI solution may replace or override their knowledge and experience for business decisions that affect their area of responsibility. The reality is that BI empowers decision making and leverages experience by providing supporting detail often otherwise missing. Critical to the success of any BI implementation is a common vision of how BI is going to improve business decisions.

Debunk Myth#1 with clear expectations and assurances that the value your employees experience will only be augmented with better information.

Myth #2: Users prefer to figure it out rather than receive training Even the simplest BI tool takes time and practice to help users make the most of the solution. Companies that don’t invest in training often end up wondering why no one uses the tool. The entire organization from top to bottom should receive some level of formal training to get full value from the BI solution. Allowing users to focus time and attention on learning how to use the BI solution will help with user adoption and acceptance.

Avoid Myth #2 by scheduling formal training - away from their regular job - that provides users with hands-on training. (But don’t make them work overtime to “penalize” them for training.)

Myth #3: Once the implementation is done, it’s done A BI project is not over simply because the application has been deployed. BI is an evolution that supports the change and growth of an organization. Start with highly visible and easy-to-implement projects so that people build confidence in its value and in using it. The more complex projects should be scheduled for implementation after familiarity and confidence have been sufficiently built.

The whole point is to leverage the organization’s information assets to new levels of utility and value, so that decision-making across the entire organization, from top to bottom, and with the organization’s external partners, is more effective and productive. Revisiting the uses of BI on a regular basis will ensure that the organization is making the most of their investment.

Debunk Myth #3 by incorporating BI as a strategic component of all business planning activities.

Let’s talk about what BI solution is right for your business. Call us today.

As we continue to see an increase in the number of tablets available, business owners and employees will naturally begin to buy them in hopes of using them for or at work. One thing users will usually do is transfer files from their computer to their device. This is most often done through a USB cord, but there may be a time when you don't have a cord and need a file. If you have an Android Tablet, there is a way to access files on your PC without a USB cable.

To wirelessly share files from your PC to your Android tablet without a cord, you can use the ES File Explorer File Management - available for free on the Google Play Store. This app does a lot more than allow you to share files from your PC, in fact it's main purpose is to access and maintain files on an Android device. There is a feature of this app which allows users to access files shared on their computer of a LAN - Local Area Network.

Here's how you can set this up: Note: The following steps are for computers running Windows 7.

Set up both devices

1. Download and install the app on your Android tablet. It can be downloaded from here.
2. Start the app on your device and go through the overview and brief tutorial.
3. Navigate to the folder on your computer you would like to share with your device. You can also create a new folder on the desktop for files you want to access on your device.
4. Right-click on the folder and select Add a network location.
5. Click Next and a screen will display your computer's IP address which you can jot down. If your computer is the only one on the network, there's no need to do this, but if you have more than one, it's a good idea to write this address down. It should look something like 192.168.1.107 - the IP will differ, depending on the network.
6. Set a Username and Password when you're given the option. Then click Finish. Note, if you don't set a username and password, anyone connected to the network will be able to access the folder.

Connect your Android device

1. Connect your Android device to the same Wi-Fi network the computer is connected to.
2. Select LAN in ES File Explorer on your Android device. It can be found by pressing the downward pointing blue arrow in the top-left side of the app.
3. Press Search on the app. It will search and display a list of devices currently connected to the LAN.
4. Tap the computer icon with the IP address that matches the one you jotted down above.
5. Enter the username and password you established earlier and select Connect.

Using ES to transfer/view files After you have connected, you can tap on the icon again and you will be able to see the folder(s) you selected to share. To copy a file from your computer to your device:

1. Tap and hold the file for a second or two to get a list of options.
2. Press Copy to copy the file.
3. Navigate to /sdcard/ - by flicking to the left/right on your device.
4. Select the folder where you would like to place the file, and press and hold for a second until the menu comes up.
5. Press Paste.

If you want to move a file from your Android tablet to your computer, you can navigate to it's location on the /sdcard/ section, then press and hold to select Copy and navigate to the LAN section. Select the folder, long-pressing on it and finally pick Paste.

There are many different apps out there that can help you integrate your Android tablet to your office. If you do choose to follow this method you should be aware that it may not be the most secure way to transfer files. It would be a good idea to contact us before you try this at the office, as we may have a solution for you that could make things even easier.

There are many tasks that mobile devices can help you with, some are better suited to smartphones while others are better suited to tablets. One of the more useful things a tablet can do is help you with mind mapping, which is a valuable tool that helps you visualize information and relations around one central topic. If you have an Android tablet there are some great apps available to help you do this.

Here are five apps for Android tablets that will help you with your mind mapping.

Connected Mind Connected Mind, USD$3.00 on the Google Play store, is a full function mind mapping app that allows you to create maps using your finger to draw and edit branches and nodes. Each branch is randomly assigned different colors (which you can change) to help keep your map organized, and with 27 shapes you can create some pretty complex maps.

The good thing about this app is all maps are stored in the cloud and linked to your Google account. This means you can access the maps on any Android device, or even on Chrome with a Chrome extension. You can also share the map, as an image, to other apps like Gmail, WhatsApp, Google Drive, etc.

Mindjet for Android This app is the Android version of the popular PC based mind mapping program Mindjet. With this app, you can create professional looking mind maps quickly and easily. At the bottom of the screen is a customization toolbar that allows you to customize category nodes, branches and sub categories to your heart’s content. Any mind map created on your tablet will sync with mindjet’s browser or computer based versions; you can take your mind maps anywhere.

As an added bonus, the app syncs with Dropbox and if you have the full version, Microsoft Office, SharePoint, Apple Mail and Yammer. The downside of this app is you do have to subscribe to use it. A Web based subscription is USD$15 a month, while the full version is USD$30 a month. The app on the Google Play store is free, but you will be asked to subscribe after 30 days.

Mindomo Mindomo is an app that’s quite similar to Mindjet in that it’s easy to use to create professional looking mind maps. While it offers many of the same features, it also adds collaboration if you sign up for the paid subscription, giving you the ability to work on mind maps while offline. You can also embed images directly from your phone into the mind maps, with maps and images being synced to other versions when you’re connected to the Internet.

Mindomo has four pricing options: Free, which gives you three maps a month, Premium, Professional and Team. The cost for the three paid programs is USD$6.00, USD$15 and USD$29 a month, respectively. The Professional and Team versions give you the ability to collaborate with up to five guests and five users for the Team version.

iMindMap HD If you have a creative streak in you, or love brilliant looking mind maps, this is the app for you. Backed by ThinkBuzan (the company started by Tony Buzan, the inventor of modern mind maps) you can create mind maps worthy of framing, while also storing them on ThinkBuzan’s cloud storage service. There’s more to this app than it being really, really, ridiculously good looking though. You can draw your own branches, embed Web links and pictures directly from your camera, open email attachments and export your maps as images. It also has a built in function that will help ensure a neat and tidy map.

You can have up to five maps on the free version, but can subscribe to ThinkBuzan Cloud for USD$20.99 for one year.

Simple Mind If you are looking for a low-cost (USD$5.00), easy to use app, this is a great choice. You can create, edit and reorganize maps and that’s about it. The maps you produce look simple compared to some the other apps produce. While this may be a downer to some, simple mind maps often look great, and if done correctly, can look super professional.

If you’re interested in using mind mapping apps in your company, or for your Android device, please contact us, we can help you set up an app that will meet your needs.

As mobile devices become increasingly mainstream, hackers and scammers are starting to develop malware and other programs that target mobile platforms in the hopes of stealing information or making an easy buck. The quickest way to get these malicious programs onto mobile devices is by creating a program that imitates another program in the hope that people will be tricked into downloading it. A new scam targeted at Android users is doing just this.

In late June 2012, the mobile version of Firefox was released on the Google Play store. Some enterprising hackers have taken advantage of this and posted apps on a Russian website that are actually malware.

These apps are a form of the Boxer malware app. Boxer is an app that can be downloaded and installed on Android devices. When downloaded and opened, it will bring up a Rules page - the page that tells you what permissions the app needs to run - and asks you to accept it. This page contains one extra rule in small print: it gives the app permission to send and accept SMSs from paid services.

When the user hits Accept, an SMS will be sent to a number ending in 2855, 3855, 7151, or 8151 and the user is taken to a webpage to download the actual app, with a message saying the app has been activated.

What sets the Firefox version apart from other versions is that it doesn’t ask the user for permission to install or show the rules page. It installs and sends the SMS to the above numbers without the user knowing. The other difference is that this version sends the user to Google’s search page not the download page for the real app.

The interesting thing about Boxer malware is that it has appeared a number of times posing as different popular apps, suggesting there could be a trend developing. We highly recommend that you only download apps from approved sites like Google Play, and always look at the publisher of the app before downloading. If you have any questions regarding the security of your Android device, please contact us.

When it comes to most technical systems, there is so much change in one year, that it can be a bit tricky to predict what the next year will bring. Social media is no different. While there are a number of trends that will continue on from last year, there are going to be some surprises along the way too. What we can do however is take our best guess based on what's going on right now.

Social goes mobile The way people view information is changing thanks to increasing adoption of tablets and mobile devices. The adoption rate is forecasted to rise in 2013, with the number of users who view your content on mobile devices soon overtaking those using a more traditional browser.

Because of this, the use of web technology that resizes text, images and other content to any screen size, will become even more popular. What this means for social media managers is that you will need to keep mobile users in mind when developing content and ensure it can be easily viewed on tablets and smartphones.

Visual marketing Visual marketing is the use of video, images, infographics, etc. to get your message across to your target audience. The key to this type of marketing is that it enhances brand memory, recall and identity.

Social media sites like Pinterest, Instagram and Facebook, are perfect platforms that, with effective use, can create an awareness that resonates with target groups, creating increased engagement.

While this marketing concept isn't new, you can expect to see more companies focusing on developing more content that's visual in nature throughout the next year and beyond.

Content marketing (B2B) When it comes to B2B marketing on social platforms, companies have been using content as the main brand driver. This takes many forms, including: Papers, ebooks, infographics, webinars, etc. For example, infographics have proven to be valuable tools in increasing brand awareness. Most companies are well aware of this and it's hard to find a business that doesn't have some kind of content on their website.

In 2013, you can expect to see many enterprises turning to social media platforms like Pinterest, Facebook, Google+, etc. to develop and share content. Couple this with an increase in visual content and there will be an increased trend for smart marketers to develop engaging posts that are also visually appealing.

Google+ is a Google must Google is playing the long game with it's social media platform, Google+. While it currently isn't anywhere near as popular as Facebook, Google is making changes to the platform and turning the service into a central hub for managing your online presence - when it comes to Google that is.

Last year, Google rolled out a number of services, such as Local, into Google+. This forced businesses with a Google presence to use this service to manage it. This trend will likely continue over the next few years, with the slow release of valuable services that are exclusively for Google+ users and force users to switch to them.

In other words, for companies using Google's services: Google+ is a Google must.

Facebook remains king. For now! Despite a disappointing IPO last year, Facebook is still #1 when it comes to social media. This likely won't change in the near future. Facebook is well aware of this and will continue to take steps to keep users.

We can expect Facebook to introduce a premium version of Pages, along with increasingly powerful analytics tools. Alongside this, their mobile advertising service will likely mature into a viable business option. What this means for businesses is that they will need to keep on top of these offerings and figure out how to best leverage their content.

These are just five social media trends for the coming year. Have you identified any more? What do you think will be the biggest change to social media in 2013? We're interested to hear your thoughts.

The tablet computer, a cross between a computer and a smartphone, is arguably of the most important new age device. One of the most popular tablet operating systems is Android with a wide variety of tablets available from a number of different manufacturers. While there are many different Android tablets, there is one thing all users should be doing, backing it up.

Here’s three different methods you can use to backup your Android tablet.

Method 1: built-in backup If your tablet is running Android OS 4.0 (Ice Cream Sandwich), you can backup tablet settings and application data to Google’s servers by opening Settings, scrolling down toPersonal and selecting Backup & reset. If you can’t find Personal, open Settings and scroll down to Privacy. In both windows, select Backup my data. Your data will be stored on Google’s servers and if you select Automatic Restore, your tablet will automatically restore data when you instruct it to do so e.g., during a factory reset.

Method 2: use a third party app For many, the built-in backup is enough, but, there are some users who want a more robust option, or would prefer to backup their data onto a hard drive. To do so, you can use a third party app like MyBackup Pro, which allows you to backup both applications and data. The data is stored on your tablets SD card, or on a server. When you need to restore your device, reinstall the application and press Restore. This option is also referred to as local backup.

Method 3: cloud backup If you’re not too picky about your applications, but are more worried about documents you could back them up using a cloud service like Google Drive or Dropbox. These services sync with your tablet and will store important documents in the cloud, giving you access regardless of the device you’re using. To use these apps, first install them and then go to Settings followed by Accounts and sync. Tap the program name to be given upload options.

It’s recommended to, at the very least, use method 1. For maximum effectiveness, use a combination of all three. If you’re unsure of which method you should be using for the Android tablets in your company, please contact us, we can help.