NZBusiness December 2013

Rugged technology is growing in popularity with companies and individuals looking for computing solutions capable of handling the daily knocks and drops. That’s according to Panasonic Toughpad and Toughbook distributor Comworth, which notes that when business processes depend on technology tools, rugged devices mean reduced support, dramatically lower hardware failures and longer-lasting computers – and all of that means a lower total cost of ownership. Comworth product manager Erin Hamlyn points to market insight from VDC Research which indicates that tough technology is set to grow at a compound annual growth rate of 22%. “That’s solid growth and it is largely down to business buyers appreciating that spending a little more on the device acquisition cost means better performance for

At CES on January 7th, Toshiba unveiled its premium, sleek and ultra-lightweight, Toshiba Chromebook – the first device of its kind to feature a 13.3-inch diagonal HD display. As Toshiba's first entry into the growing Chromebook market, the robust and lightning-fast Toshiba Chromebook is powered by a Haswell-based Intel® Celeron™ processor plus 2GB of RAM and a 16GB solid state drive deliver versatile performance, ultra-fast start up time and a long battery life of up to nine hours. The 13.3-inch diagonal HD TruBrite™ display with a native 1366 x 768 screen resolution, offers more room for web browsing, document creation, video chatting and apps than a tablet and is better suited for productivity – just like a notebook. The new

Allan Sargeant is well aware that caring for older people takes heart as well as a new level of management skills, not much required back in the day. Jackie Russell looks at the technology that accelerated the family business into the modern era. The tough reality is New Zealand’s population is ageing, the need for high-level care facilities is out-stripping supply and people are living longer with increasing health complications.Mum and dad owners of private hospitals and rest homes face the challenge of shaping up or shipping out as regulations raise the management bar and residents require more complex care.Many small homely facilities are no longer viable, which has driven businesses such as Ambridge Rose Manor Private Hospital and Rest

When Samsung launched the first Galaxy Note there was a question mark over the device. Would people want a huge 5.7 inch display on a phone? The device is too big to operate one-handed and unlike other smartphones which rely on touch screens, it comes with a stylus.With the Galaxy Note now on its third version, the answer is a clear ‘yes’. The phone is especially popular in Asia; apparently it does a better job of dealing with Asian characters than everyday smartphones. It's also popular with people who use it as a small tablet.In practice it's slim and light despite its size. Battery life is good – you'll easily get a full day's work from the Note 3 before

Just as we were wondering what useful apps could be squeezed into the tiny display on a smart watch, Westpac New Zealand announced it has developed a mobile banking app that will sit on your wrist.The app is a version of the bank's Cash Tank app which smartphone owners can use to quickly check how much money they have in an account. It also can give alerts, say, when your balance falls below a certain level. Cash Tank is popular because it doesn't require constant passwords and log-ins.When it first appears, the app will only be available on the Sony smart watch. Westpac says it will add other smart watches as they become more widely available in New Zealand.