Have laptop, will travel
The CradleVue (www.vuegear.com) is a harness designed to securely suspend a notebook computer between the front seats of a vehicle for unobstructed backseat viewing. Some vehicles now come with built-in entertainment centers. These are expensive, don’t survive well in Saudi Arabia’s summer heat and cost a fortune to fix when they break. Even worse, they are only good for playing movies — nothing more. With the CradleVue it’s possible to set up a laptop computer in a vehicle and play computer games, do homework, exchange e-mail or surf the Internet while traveling — as well as watch movies or listen to audio files. The CradleVue installs in about one minute and is fully adjustable to accommodate any vehicle. It will also custom-fit nearly any size laptop. Made of nylon webbing, tent-quality bungee-like shock cord, hook and loop fastening, and sewn to rigid standards, the CradleVue keeps a laptop in place while traveling and is easy to remove when it’s not needed.
Webcast on social media strategies
Clara Shih, author of “The Facebook Era: Tapping Online Social Networks to Build Better Products, Reach New Audiences, and Sell More Stuff” will be featured in a Webcast on Aug. 4 at 1 p.m. EDT. Shih will preview social networking trends that are beginning to emerge, sharing with attendees how to stay ahead of the competition by utilizing new social media strategies. Register for this complimentary event at http://www.safaribooksonline.com/events/thefacebookera.html.
Business connections online
The social networking site LinkedIn.com has become well-known for business networking. But another social networking site, Xing.com, is proving to be popular, particularly with the European business community. Since the Middle East tends to be a part of the European divisions of most international companies, this means Xing.com is attractive to many professionals in Saudi Arabia. Xing went public in 2006, the first Web 2.0 company to do so. Xing claims to have over seven million members and offers both free and premium services. Business professionals use Xing to find useful contacts, important information, new business opportunities, employees, jobs and ideas. The Xing network can be accessed all over the world via Internet, all smart phones, PDAs and Blackberrys.
Destination guide for iPhone
The Mobile 3D City application enables iPhone users to navigate in Paris using 3D imagery. This application is not limited to the role of a GPS for pedestrians. The user can also access useful tourism information such as the history and functions of the various buildings and sights of Paris and reference more than 2000 points of interest in the city. Addressing the requirements of both residents and visiting tourists in Paris, no Internet connection is required once the application has been installed in the telephone, so the user avoids roaming fees. Download it through the iTunes Store. ComputaMaps, the company behind the app, claims that other major world capitals will be mapped in 3D over the coming months.