While talking about how your tech company made its fortune by throwing things against the wall to see what sticks makes a fascinating story, following up on hunches and wild experimentation is not exactly how most businesses win big in a fiercely competitive industry.

In the real world, you have a better chance of success if you make a few good decisions; and the quality of a decision, whether of a person or an organization, primarily depends on the quality of the information.

How do you find high quality information to base your decision? Usually, the best way is through a combination of research techniques and business software analytics.

What is Business Analytics?

There is a lot of confusion about the term “business analytics.” It is used in a wide number of ways and often confused with business intelligence. The best way to think about it is to recognize that it’s an umbrella term and can be used in a wide number of contexts.

So, for example, the term can include a diversity of analytical tools like business intelligence, enterprise performance management, governance, enterprise information management, data warehousing, analytic applications, and so on.

Sometimes, too, the term can be used in a very specific way by a certain company to suggest a level of domain knowledge, statistical analytics, or predictive analytics.

How to Use Business Analytics

Imagine that you’re thinking of setting up shop as a smartwatch maker because you have several brilliant ideas on how to make a better type of wearable device than Fitbit or Apple. Moreover, your current business has the technical expertise and the financial wherewithal to enter this market.

Naturally, you will have a lot of questions before you jump in:

• Is your idea a viable product category for a small player new to the scene?
• What type of ROI might you hope to expect if you go for it?
• What would it take to be a success in this industry?

Burning money by adding random features in a smartwatch is not a winning solution. Just because a market looks promising does not mean that it’s wide open to any type of entrepreneurial initiative.

How will you be able to evaluate the feasibility of your idea? One way would be to build a prototype and use business analytics to gather all the information you need to decide whether or not to enter this market.

4 Best Practices

Here are 4 suggestions on best practices to use:

1. Organize your data. Uniform data is efficient. The more uniform your data, the more efficiently you will be able to analyze it. Errors arise when the data belongs to different categories of things (e.g. apples and oranges) or if it’s formatted in different ways (e.g. area codes separated in some places with dashes and in others with periods).
2. Get everyone on the same page. When working with a business team to analyze data, it’s essential that everyone understand the context for the analysis to streamline the best approach. A diverse team where everyone has a different technical background, understanding of the issues, and interpretative skill can quickly results in chaos.
3. Understand the problem. The problem has to be clearly defined to know what you’re looking for and the purpose of the project. Ambiguity about the problem being addressed or the end goal of the project will simply waste everyone’s time.
4. Ask for expert help when overwhelmed. If an analyst or a team can’t make sense of the data when trying to find answers to some important questions asked by upper management, it’s better to ask for outside help than to consider the data nonsensical or irrelevant. An outside perspective from a seasoned analyst can prove invaluable in getting insights. They might see new possibilities that are obscure to someone with less interpretive or predictive data-reading skills.

Better Decisions with Business Analytics

Business analytics can be used to make better decisions in all types of situations. It’s routinely used for big, complex ideas. A manufacturer of self-driving cars could use it to make better key decisions on this emerging technology, and it’s possible that a smartphone company like Blackberry used it to smartly exit the hardware business, giving them a path forward.

The post How Business Analytics Can Assist Struggling Tech Companies appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.

Keeping your computer maintained is very similar to a car, in many ways. Regular servicing and cleaning is essential to extending the life span of your computer – there are plenty of tools to make this job easy but there are also some jobs you might’ve never known you needed to do:

Regular Cleaning

This doesn’t necessarily mean giving your screen a wipe down every now and then, though it helps, cleaning your computer refers to its software as much as the hardware. You can install several applications, such as ioBit, to clean through your computer’s registry and remove any unnecessary or junk files.

Anti-Virus

The last thing anyone wants is a virus, whether it’s the person themselves or their computer. In the same way a virus will make a user ill; a computer virus will affect its performance but you can add extra defences to your computer to protect it from virus infiltration.

Anti-Virus software, such as Avast or Norton, will stop viruses accessing your system by identifying them during downloads and scanning incoming updates and E-Mails.

AdBlock

Easily one of the most useful browser extenstions; AdBlock removes banner and pop up advertising from the websites you visit, eliminating the risk of clicking on an advert and being directed to an untrustworthy website – if there’s nothing to click; you can’t click it!

Add Ons

When accessing the internet; you need to know that you can trust the websites you’re accessing. There are many available and you could conduct research via lengthy Google searching but it’s far easier to simply download the Web of Trust add on for your browser.

Any website you attempt to access will have a trust rating depending on the information available from user reviews etc.

Cooling Your PC

A hot PC is an unhappy computer, generally speaking, as the hard drive will heat up when there are too many processes operating at any one time. If you have a lot of programmes running at once; you may feel your laptop become hot or hear a tower’s fan kick in to cool the system down.

Fan assisted laptop mounts and uprated PC cooling systems are available and well worth investing in.

The post Maintaining Your Computer appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.

Does the world of online gambling fascinate you? Do you dream of one day honing your online poker skills enough that you can book a trip to Las Vegas to compete at the WSOP (World Series of Poker)? If so, chances are you’re pretty darn intrigued to see what the future holds for the world of online gambling. To help you get excited and so you’ll know what to expect, today we’ve listed three of our predictions for the future of online gambling.

1 – Skill-based games
Millennials live their lives online, and therefore it’s no surprise that they’re gradually turning their attentions to the world of online gambling. But exactly how will those designing the online gambling games capture their imaginations? We predict it will be through more skill-based games that challenge the players, and hold their interest for longer. You can also expect a move towards more social gaming, with those gambling live online streaming their matches and game stats so that people can watch and learn from home.

2 – More virtual reality

Although virtual online casinos, where you can mingle with the staff and have a wander around the casino floor, are already out there and fantastic, sadly they’re not accessible to all just yet due to the cost of virtual reality headsets. As further developments are made, and the hardware comes down in costs, you can expect the world of the online casinos to improve and improve. Additionally, we’re seeing a move towards online gamers seeking out games where they can play single and multi-player in the same arena. It seems they enjoy a carefully crafted world just as much as an excellent storyline. As things develop we should expect to see a combination of the two made available, i.e. one minute you’re playing some roulette with a buddy in an online casino, the next you wander off on a little spin-off quest. Sounds exciting doesn’t it!

3 – Bitcoin to grow in popularity

Moving forward we expect to see Bitcoin become the go-to currency for the online gambling world. The digital currency is already relatively popular with players attracted by practically non-existent transaction fees, the fact it offers anonymity, and because it allows players to dodge the low withdrawal limits of online casinos. As more jurisdictions accept the online currency, Bitcoin is likely to go from strength to strength.

4 – More US States to offer regulated online gambling

2017 looks to be the year that more US states finally legalise regulated online gambling. Industry experts believe that the future of online gambling in the US starts and ends with the decision about to be made in Pennsylvania. As we speak the Pennsylvania House of Representatives has introduced a bill that would legalise online gambling, which is expected to be reviewed in the senate any day now. It’s thought that the decision made in Pennsylvania could be the encouragement that other states, most notably New York and California, need to climb aboard the online gambling bandwagon.

The post Future Predictions of Online Gambling appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.

Universe, a mobile-only website builder, lets you create pages in ‘under a minute’, which can make all the difference for a lot of people trying to start a business. Many people who have tried to create their own web pages have more or less been forced to stress about them for weeks or more. A lot of web developers will spend so much time creating web pages that their clients will have to delay their business plans. With web builders like these, people can save themselves a lot of time, money, energy, and nearly every other resource.

Speed is one of the most important characteristics in web design because people need to be able to make quick changes to the web pages if necessary. Websites need to be easy to update. Almost all successful websites get updated fairly regularly. People will often visit their favorite websites only to find that the web layout is very different. In many cases, this is because the web owners decided to update everything in order to make it all easier to use. In a lot of other cases, it’s just because they felt the need to change the format in order to make sure that they are able to keep the format as fresh as possible.

Of course, a good web builder needs to be easy to use in general, including for the people who are just starting out with the website design. It’s important for people to be able to create websites in a way that is efficient in terms of time. Otherwise, they’re going to struggle even more in the design phase. In many cases, this is actually the hardest part of the whole process. A lot of people will have no problem when it comes to updating their websites. However, they will tend to struggle when it comes to getting them off the ground in the first place.

Almost all aspects of the world of business are difficult. There are certainly plenty of failed business people. However, many business people fail before they even really start. This is because a lot of the people who are trying to start businesses will have a hard time with taking the initial steps. People do need to more or less take a leap of faith in themselves in order to get this part of the process going. Many wealthy people look back on this initial period of risk with fondness, but it is important to get to that new point first, and that’s the hard part.

Few people are going to have a lot of initial successes when it comes to their businesses. They are going to need to have confidence that they will succeed anyway, and in order to do that, it helps to have some tools that are really going to make this initial part of the process a lot easier. A good web site builder can really make a huge difference for the people who are still in the initial stages of business creation.

The post Create Web Pages on Your Mobile in Under A Minute appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.

How to stay ahead of the bad guys in the race to home safety

When it comes to home surveillance tips it can be hard to put in place what is being preached. With every household having its own shape and style, there is no cookie cutter solution that protects any household from any immediate or potential danger. If you are on the lookout for useful and actionable home surveillance assistance then you would do well to look into the following, though. While not all of these will be actionable for you, they do provide an insight into how you could potentially make a difference.

Home surveillance costs a lot, so how can you make it a more cost-effective installation?

• Use Mobile Assistance. With the advent of smartphones and the like today, we have more means to access our home surveillance than ever before. With the help of a solid home safety mobile app, you can easily make sure that you have access to cameras all around the clock. They can be used with various home surveillance systems to make sure that you can always have access to what is being seen. Want to get the most out of your system? Then be sure to look into using some form of mobile app that is provided. If one is not provided, keep looking for a new supplier.
• Understand Differences. Seen how your friend or family members home surveillance works and want to make sure you get the same quality? Then be sure to get the same model. Even a slightly different style can lead to an entirely different model of usage and control. For that reason, being able to understand the differences can make sure that you are not investing your money in nothing. Understand the differences before you invest and you can make you are putting your money into something that can actively keep using.
• Registering Alerts. SMS and e-mail alerts are a common addition in the world of home surveillance. If the system that you are going to be using exists purely for home security, then you absolutely have to register for the alerts. If you spend even a decent amount of each day or night out of the house, then recurring alerts can be just what you need if you want to never miss a beat. After all, what good is a system like this if you only find out someone intruded after the event?
• Staying Private. While monitoring is provided with most forms of surveillance today, sometimes we want a bit of extra privacy within the household. Understand that models that come with a privacy mode can be used; they can allow you to make sure that you keep some recordings private and avoid them being seen by third-party protectors. If you want privacy, make sure that you use it or risk having some unwanted surveillance.

With the above home surveillance tips you can make sure that you are getting the right level of usage out of your security system. Knowing how it works and understanding features can make your investment worthwhile.

For detailed reviews on home surveillance, follow the guide at SecurityCameraSystemPro.com

The post Top Home Surveillance Tips appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.

That time of year is fast approaching again when we start to hear rumours of what the next batch of phones are going to offer. Whether you are an Apple fan with their iPhone, or prefer Samsung’s latest device, now is the time to consider that upcoming upgrade. With that in mind we’ve brought together some of the rumours around the phone.

Release Date News

One of the most obvious pieces of news that everybody wants to know is when will the device be out? Well the release date is normally revealed in March, so we can expect it by the end of the month, as this is when the news is due to be released. This will also be when the retailers and networks will release their deals for the phone too.

The New Design

While you can expect the phone to look similar to previous designs there are some interesting changes that have leaked online. This includes a minimalistic front bezel, allowing the screen to take up even more space and to give the user the full force of the phone. This will be a good upgrade for those wanting more space to watch those full screen videos. On the back, there is also a rumoured third space next to the camera for what is believed to be a finger print scanner.

Power

When a new phone comes out we like to focus on the power the device will be providing us. Whether it is used to watch videos, play some online slots pay by mobile phone bill, or just do battle in the latest Candy Crush Saga clone the more power the device has, the better.

There is no fear here though, with a rumoured new Qualcomm Snapdragon 830 chipset with 6GB of ram there is plenty of power to run even the most power hungry application. This beast looks like it is going to be an entertainment powerhouse.

The Power of 4K

Moving into the 4K world means that the Samsung Galaxy 8 needs a screen that can handle the requirement. With a 2560×1440 resolution screen, there should be no worries here. While we may wonder what the use of a 4K screen is on a small device, this is paving the way for the use of Virtual Reality with your phone.

A Pricey Bargain?

So with all of this new technology heading our way how much will it cost? Well the rumour is that the phone will cost around £599, so start saving now.

Many of the details above are rumours, so it will be interesting just what the phone will be able to do. We’ll be able to get all the facts when it is finally revealed later this month.

The post The Samsung Galaxy 8 is Coming – All the Rumours on the Latest Must-Have Phone appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.

A year ago Virtual Reality (VR) was all the buzz but after the VR headsets came out it just couldn’t live up to the high expectations people had. VR gaming was relatively well received but was still underwhelming. While there were some pretty decent VR game releases in 2016 they weren’t anything exceptional and the hardware was way too expensive and riddled with issues.

Is VR Really Made For Gaming?

The early adopters of VR tech like Sony, HTC & Facebook have released their respective VR headsets, the launch games have been released, and now all the excitement revolving the concept of VR gaming has calmed down a bit, for us to consider more pressing concerns like how VR gaming will evolve from here on?

How much can we do it with VR gaming? Is VR gaming just another fad like 3D gaming that will die out eventually or will it finally become mainstream in 2017?

At its core, VR technology is definitely developed for the gaming industry. Which means that all big developers and publishers will be focusing on the gaming industry for VR marketing their VR products. As with looking for a unique game, you will want to check out spin palace.

Why Hasn’t It Become Mainstream?

The major reason why VR failed to catch on and become mainstream in 2016 was the massive lack of AAA games on VR. Even the very few AAA games that were released on VR they came with problems of their own.

The physical issues, the nausea and pain to the eyes head and face that was caused by playing VR games using a VR headset was a main reason why VR wasn’t a success. This ultimately led game developers to make smaller less expensive games which they player could play is small durations without experiencing any of the negative issues. But does this mean the VR will never have AAA game releases? Surprisingly, no.

Both headset and game developers are making amazing improvement in how they bring AAA games to VR and the latest and by far the most evident example is Resident Evil 7: Bio Hazard.

THERE IS HOPE

Since it’s launch on VR, Resident Evil 7 has become the highest selling game for VR headsets and the number of complaints about any physical issues or pain in the eyes has not been heard! As of now more than 62,000 people have been reported to be playing Resident Evil 7 on Sony’s PS VR which is unprecedented for a VR game. Rather, based on the feedback received from players that played Resident Evil 7 in VR almost every player preferred the VR experience over the Console experience.

If the success of Resident Evil 7 is anything to go buy and the affordability of new VR headsets like the Samsung Gear VR and the no affordable PS VR 2017 might just be the year VR finally cements its position in the gaming industry.

But the major factor that will determine VR’s success in 2017 are the games and from what we see we’ve got an amazing line-up heading our way in 2017. Upcoming VR games in 2017 include the much anticipated Fallout 4 VR and the likes of Arktika which developers have promised will be a unique AAA game developed specifically for VR that will provide an experience second to no gaming console!

The post Is 2017 the year for consumer VR Gaming? appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.

2017 has started with tons of eye candy for tech enthusiasts. The year’s first major tech event, the Consumer Electronics Show (CES), has started just days after the New Year’s party, making sure all tech savvy partygoers have enough new stuff ready for when the hangover finally passes. As you might expect, CES is not about flagship phones, focusing on other products – most of the times TVs and similar things. There are still a few interesting news to take a look at for smartphone enthusiasts, too. This year, one of the most interesting news is Samsung’s new and improved Galaxy A line of handsets.

Why is the Galaxy A series important? Well, take a look at what most of us use our smartphones for on a daily basis. Most of us read the news, play games at 7 Sultans online casino, take pictures, and keep up with our friends on social media. As the games at the 7 Sultans Mobile are less hardware-hungry, they can easily be run on “lesser” models, like Samsung’s Galaxy A series. Even the lowest-end model in the series is the perfect phone to run 7 Sultans games, offering quick and easy access to 7 Sultans Mobile anywhere, at any time. It’s the perfect model for casual gamers and the average smartphone user.

What’s new in the Galaxy A series

The 2017 Samsung Galaxy A series consists of three models: the A3, the A5, and the A7. The phones have been made available in Russia first, following a worldwide rollout later in the year. All new models have enhanced cameras compared to last year’s models, taking better pictures even when the lights are low. The user interface of the cameras have also been improved, making taking selfies, switching camera modes, and applying filters and effects much easier. One new camera feature will make Instagram foodies very happy: the new Samsung cameras now have a “Food mode” only for them.

All 2017 Galaxy A models come with a metal frame, and IP68 dust and water resistance. What makes them stand out is their 3D glass back panel, showing that they are not quite entry-level phones. The phones will be available in four colors: Black Sky, Gold Sand, Blue Mist, and Peach Cloud.

Under the hood

The Samsung Galaxy A3 (2017) will have a 1.6GHz octa-core SoC with 2GB of RAM, and a 4.7″ HD screen. It will have a 13-megapixel rear camera with LED flash, and an 8-megapixel front camera for better selfies. It will have 16GB of internal storage built into it.

The Samsung Galaxy A5 (2017) will come with a slightly faster, 1.9GHz octa-core SoC, 3GB of RAM, and 32GB of internal storage. Its 5.2″ screen will have a full HD (1080×1920) resolution and a 424ppi pixel density. Its main camera will come with a 16-megapixel sensor, and its front camera will have a similar one. Compared to the above model, it will have extra support for fast battery charging.

The Samsung Galaxy A7 (2017) will be the top model in the series. It will come with the more powerful Exynos 7880 Octa SoC running at 1.9GHz, coupled with 3GB of RAM, it will have 32GB of internal storage, and support for microSD cards up to 256GB. It will have the largest screen of the three – 5.7″ with a 1080 x 1920 pixels resolution.

All new models will come with goodies like a built-in FM radio tuner, USB Type-C 1.0 connectors, support for Samsung Pay, and Android 6.0.1 running on them.

The post Samsung Galaxy A Series Gets a 2017 Update appeared first on TechFresh, Consumer Electronics Guide.

When the iPad was first launched in 2010, nobody could have predicted its level of popularity. Now, seven years later, it is still one of the most purchased products in the Apple range and without question the market leader for tablets. With several models currently on the market, and new models being launched every year to compete with rival tablets, the iPad shows no sign of disappearing anytime soon. Why has Apple’s answer to the tablet persisted on the market so long and been so successful? 
The iPad, unlike rival tablets, was born from software and hardware we were already familiar with back in 2010. Its precursors, the iPhone and iPod, introduced us to the same technology we use on the iPad. So when the device was launched, we knew the interface and the operating system. This made it easier for us to use as many customers had already learned how to use those devices. Apple, in many ways, was able to use the iPhone and iPod as springboards for the iPad.

That means customers are also more comfortable using apps on the iPad. In the years before the iPad launched, users became accustomed to the App Store, iTunes and so forth. That has made the transition to iPad easier for customers than if they were using a Samsung tablet or the Kindle Fire.

Nobody will disagree that iOS is easy to use. Apple has seen a flux of sales for their product because its simple operating system resonates with people of all ages, from toddlers to the elderly. That makes it an invaluable tablet, where those using an Android tablet may find themselves struggling to work through its features, no matter how great they may be. The user experience is just not the same.

Also, unlike its tablet rivals, the iPad was designed to support a wide range of accessories that allow it to be used outside of its basic functions. For instance, Apple TV, your printer or even your guitar amp. Apple has recognised and acknowledges that the iPad is more than a tablet; to them, it is an essential part of daily life. That’s how many of their customers feel about it too.

The reality is that the iPad is a market leader because it revolutionised the tablet industry. It opened up tablets for daily use and made its product accessible to everyone. They are more stable and have less faults, meaning iPad insurance is cheaper than policies available for Android devices. Above all, it is because iPad continues to innovate, finding new ways that its tablet can be used within the real world for daily activity.

Selecting the iPad is an obvious choice for tablet buyers because they know that it will be a fulfilling experience. Until now, no Android device has managed to live up to the usability, comfort and experience that Apple has been able to offer. If they want to take over the iPad’s position as a market leader, they are going to have to work a lot harder.

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