Top Six Trends That Will Power The Travel Industry In 2013

Consumers are evolving and the travel industry will need to keep up with their evolution with respect to the demands they have, their changing interests, and the technologies they are using to make certain travel decisions.

So, let's take a look at the top trends that I believe will define the travel industry in 2013.

Increased Digitizing of Marketing

The travel industry will digitize their marketing efforts. Not that they aren't already doing it, but now their digital marketing efforts, will get even more pronounced. More importantly, the travel industry will start using the power of mobility to target their customers. So, you will increasingly see in-app travel ads staring right at you out of your mobile devices.

This is just a small example of how marketing will and can get even more digital in its outlook.

Innovation will be about the Consumer

Again, this is something that has been happening in the travel industry for quite some time now, but now it will become even more so. A consumer like you and me wants a lot of choices; he wants the ability to make that choice in an environment of his choosing, and he wants to make that choice backed by solid information. What's more, he also wants to know whether he is making the right choice or not and the kind of travel choices others are making.

Well, for this consumer, focused innovation will be the key and more importantly this innovation needs to be convenient and integrated with social media. 2013 will be about going all out to meet the customers through a platform or channel of his choosing.

The Best Way To Find An IT Support Company That Suits Your Needs And Budget

Questions To Ask When Choosing An IT Support Company

Choosing an IT support provider that can provide solutions to your business needs can be quite complicated, especially for the uninitiated. It will help to have a checklist or a list of questions to ask the provider prior to hiring:

1. Do you offer a wide range of IT Support services that are adaptable enough to suit our needs and cater to our company's potential growth?

2. Will our business be entitled to unlimited support, or any discounts to any of your services?

3. Will our network be constantly monitored and will there be other relevant services offered to us, such as updates, server administration and maintenance?

4. Can we expect to receive a guaranteed response times whenever we encounter issues with the IT support you provide?

5. What industry standards, competencies and accreditations does you IT company have and are they certified by Microsoft?

These are but the questions that you need to ask the company you are considering to hire.

A prospective IT company which is in tune with clients' expectations is one that has been in business long enough and has been trained well in relevant disciplines. It should also have worked with both large and small enterprises finding viable solutions to their every need.

How Outsourcing IT Support Can Benefit Your Business And Turn In More Profit

Why Outsource Your IT Support Needs


When running a business, it can be tough making a decision regarding whether to hire an in-house IT support department or outsource instead. There are instances when it is far easier to just hire an in-house IT department, but as you will see within this article, there are more benefits in outsourcing IT support.
At a glance, here are some of the outstanding benefits in outsourcing your IT needs:

• It is easier to find experienced and cost-efficient technicians via outsourcing
• Outsourcing allows call sorting which gives more time in dealing server side and smaller side aspects
• Higher saving potential, as there is less overhead in outsourced IT support, compared to the financial downsides in supporting an in-house team and the equipment necessary
• Outsourced IT support teams may be able to provide 24/7/365 support

While it may not seem like a logical choice from the get-go, outsourcing IT support can actually do a lot to transform a business for the better. Below are much more concrete examples on how it can do that.

Cost-Efficient

Outsourcing IT services can mean a huge reduction in operational costs for the business. Today's outsourcing trends usually involve outsourcing work to countries abroad, who, more often than not, have lower costs of living. Because these countries do enjoy a lower cost of living, then it will mean that the company who pays for these employee's jobs end up spending less, while still being able to give them fair rates. This is where companies who choose to outsource can save a lot. One can employ an IT team abroad with the exact same number of workers, but spend significantly less on their salaries.

Microsoft Windows Evolution

MS-DOS 1.0

On Aug. 12, 1981, IBM introduces its personal computer with Microsoft's 16-bit operating system, MS-DOS 1.0. The "Microsoft Disk Operating System" or MS-DOS was based on QDOS, the "Quick and Dirty Operating System" written by Tim Paterson of Seattle Computer Products.

Windows 3.0

On May 22, 1990, Microsoft launches Windows 3.0 with GUI graphics, VGA support, and 3D effects similar to those in current versions of Windows. The OS introduces Program Manager and File Manager and is the first real OS success for Microsoft.


Windows NT 3.1

Microsoft launches Windows NT Advanced Server 3.1 on Oct. 24, 1993 as a continuation of its NT project under architect Dave Cutler. The OS launched the company into the LAN server market and introduces the Win32 API. "Windows NT represents nothing less than a fundamental change in the way that companies can address their business computing requirements," said company chairman Bill Gates when the OS was released.

Samsung’s Galaxy Note 8.0 tablet vs. Galaxy Note 2

Samsung hasn’t yet officially confirmed the Galaxy Note 8.0, but the plethora of leaks online have pretty much blown the surprise. The latest leaked photos from the French site Frandroid finally give us a way to measure the Note 8.0′s relative size by placing it alongside to the 5.5-inch Galaxy Note 2 smartphone.Galaxy Note 8.0′s design doesn’t hold many surprises — it simply looks like a blown-up version of the Note 2. That’s a good thing, since Samsung is avoiding the gaudier design of the larger Galaxy Note 10.1, a tablet that failed on many levels. The Note 8.0 is poised to be Samsung’s iPad Mini competitor, which is somewhat ironic since Samsung has been making small tablets for years.Just like the rest of the Note family, the Note 8.0 will come with Samsung’s S-Pen stylus. I’ve been eager to see a tablet that truly takes advantage of the S-Pen’s capabilities, and after the Note 10.1 was such a disappointment (mostly due to running a slower processor than the Note 2), Samsung has a lot to prove with this entry.

The Galaxy Note 8.0 is rumored to sport a quad-core processor, Android Jelly Bean, 2GB RAM, and a 1,280-by-800 pixel display (a far higher resolution than the iPad Mini’s screen). Samsung is likely gearing up to officially reveal the tablet next month at Mobile World Congress.

STEC Announces 2TB SAS and PCIe SSDs and Updated EnhanceIO Caching Software

STEC has announced forthcoming 2TB s840 SSDs with an SAS interface as well as new 2TB s1120 PCIe accelerator SSDs, each offered in versions specified for unlimited writes. STEC has also released a significant update to its drive-agnostic EnhanceIO SSD Cache Software that optimizes virtualization applications in Windows and Linux environments.


STEC’s announcement emphasized the company’s ongoing commitment to developing new SAS- and PCIe SSD technology. Both drives represent increased capacity for their respective product families and incorporate proprietary STEC features to improve performance and enhanced data protection. Both solutions feture STEC-developed ASIC designs that improve longevitiy and reduce power consumption.

STEC s840 SAS SSD

The s840 appears as a standard 2TB SAS drive that can be managed by existing storage management tools. A proprietary controller allows the product to provide 12 to 25 percent greater capacity than other SAS SSD on the market, and STEC’s PowerSafe technology protects against unscheduled power outages.

Fun games for your Smartphone

Gaming apps

The best way to grab user attention towards a device is by launching Games. The most recent gaming app is Lili available for $5. The 3D graphics of this game is as amazing as a gaming console. This game is a role-play where of course Lili is the one you control. She is a young girl who is exploring an island that is magical. On her adventures, she would need to solve puzzles and tasks that will reveal more secrets about the island. The game is easy to play and character Lili can be controlled by just a tap and drag across the screen. The best part of this game is that kids and adults can equally enjoy playing it.

Another gaming app by the name of Superbrothers is available. This is a game that includes sword fights and sorcery. The graphics may disappoint you a bit as it seems to be a little outdated. You will have to indulge in sword fight combats and use magic to move ahead in the game. You will surely identify with Harry Potter here, so anyone who is a fan of the character will enjoy playing this game. Enjoy playing this game with a set of earphones to enhance the gaming experience as the soundtrack is awesome and it will keep you engaged for hours at a stretch.

We all love gazing at the starlit sky. Here is a game that will help you do that. Star Walk ($3) is designed to help you know the constellations. This way you can actually find out which constellation you are looking at. Just start mapping the sky through your iPhone camera and enjoy. The apps graphics will enable you to find out the names of the constellations that are in the sky at the moment. The added advantage is the bigger screen that helps you take a clear shot of the sky at one go.