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The 30-Second PBX: Introducing Proxmox 4 for the Intel NUC and Asterisk 13

The 30-Second PBX: Introducing Proxmox 4 for the Intel NUC and Asterisk 13

Monday, October 19, 2015

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With the advent of cloud-based computing and desktop virtual machine platforms like VirtualBox, we haven’t played with dedicated hardware for Asterisk® in a couple of years. WOW! It’s just amazing the quantum leaps in miniaturization, price, and performance that have transpired during our absence. Last week, we introduced a dedicated server platform for under $200 that could serve as a small business PBX for almost any 20-30 person organization. Today, meet Big Brother. You’re looking at all the components that… Read More ›

The Voice Recognition Revolution: Move Over Siri and Meet the New Kids

The Voice Recognition Revolution: Move Over Siri and Meet the New Kids

Tuesday, October 6, 2015

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The automobile manufacturers had the right idea years ago. Make it easy to change the temperature in your vehicle. Just say "cooler" or "warmer." That project went about as well as their GPS interfaces are progressing today. So let’s give credit where credit is due. Apple’s Siri revolutionized voice recognition by making it something really useful on the smartphone. If you’ve wondered who Siri actually is, wonder no more. You’re in for a pleasant surprise. Meet Siri from Australia. And… Read More ›

Santa's Technology Roundup: The Best Products of 2014 with Some Surprises

Santa’s Technology Roundup: The Best Products of 2014 with Some Surprises

Monday, December 22, 2014

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View image | gettyimages.com Once a year we like to pause and take a look back at 10 technology products that really grabbed our attention. 2014 will be remembered as a spectacular year. So here’s what made the Nerd Vittles short list for 2014… Smartphone of the Year: It’s a 5-Way Tie And the winners in no particular order… Galaxy Note 4, iPhone 6+, LG G3, HTC One M8, and Moto X.1 So which should you choose if you can… Read More ›

The Poor Wise Man's Burglar Alarm System with Asterisk: Under $10/month

The Poor Wise Man’s Burglar Alarm System with Asterisk: Under $10/month

Monday, July 14, 2014

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If you’re like us, spending $50 a month or more on a home security system is a bit like pouring money down the toilet. Add to that the complications of getting one to work reliably with VoIP without spending another $50 a month on a Ma Bell vintage telephone line just adds insult to injury. So perhaps you can share our elation when an email arrived last week announcing Straight Talk’s new Remote Alert System, a $10/month cellular-based system that… Read More ›

The Ultimate Android Tablet: Meet the Microsoft Surface Pro

The Ultimate Android Tablet: Meet the Microsoft Surface Pro

Monday, February 18, 2013

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We were fully prepared to hate the Microsoft Surface Pro. After all, it was designed and produced by Microsoft, and we haven’t seen many flashes of brilliance from Redmond since the XBox. That was more than eleven years ago! Yes, Microsoft has new smartphones, but they’re too little, too late in our opinion. So why is the Surface Pro different? For openers, it runs pure Windows 8, not the Windows RT crippleware. While we’re not much of a Windows cheerleader… Read More ›

Paradise Found: The Holy Grail of Mobile Communications » Meet the OBi202

Paradise Found: The Holy Grail of Mobile Communications » Meet the OBi202

Monday, February 4, 2013

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Much has been written about the quest for Unified Communications where all real-time communications services are transparently accessible by phone, by email, or via the web using multiple devices and various media types. But the Holy Grail of Business Communications is a bit different from our perspective. For the modern business person, business telecommunications comes down to a 3-way time slice between a home or home office, a real office with a real phone, and a cellphone whenever the person… Read More ›

Android 3 Deal of the Year: Acer Tab for Under $300

Android 3 Deal of the Year: Acer Tab for Under $300

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

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You’re not going to find a better deal on an Android 3 tablet probably ever. So run, don’t walk, to your nearest Target store to buy the best dual-core Android tablet on the market. Here’s why…

How Good Can a $298 Android Tablet Be?

How Good Can a $298 Android Tablet Be?

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

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Here’s the best tablet deal on the planet. The feature set and performance are surprisingly good.

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