May, 2024 - Organizer

5:52 pm | May 31, 2024

Author: admin | Category: Mobile phones news | Tags: RCS | Comments: Off

Editing messages in chat apps has been a thing for many years now, but we finally get to see some of the biggest messaging clients adopting it. Instagram recently rolled out an editing function in its chats along with Facebook's Messenger and WhatsApp. And now, Google is making it possible for RCS messages as well. How editing works The new feature will allow you to edit a message you've sent in the last 15 minutes, and the recipient will be able to see the original by tapping and holding on to the message itself. The tricky part is that all participants in the conversation should...

AirDroid Business review: streamlining your company’s device management

5:39 pm |

Author: admin | Category: Computers Gadgets Pro Software & Services | Comments: Off

In this mobile-first world, businesses thrive on staying connected, with employees often relying on a fleet of mobile devices to get the job done. Keeping these devices in check while ensuring security and operational efficiency can be daunting. Enter AirDroid Business, an innovative solution providing an arsenal of tools designed to streamline mobile device management (MDM) for companies of all sizes.

AirDroid Business stands out in MDM solutions by offering a comprehensive and scalable platform for managing, monitoring, and securing various Android devices. Whether managing a small team or overseeing an international operation, AirDroid Business provides the efficiency and flexibility necessary to keep your mobile network running smoothly.

Here’s more about AirDroid Business, its benefits, and costs to help you determine whether it’s the MDM solution for your business.

Interested in AirDroid Business? Learn out more at its website.

Features

AirDroid Business website — (Image credit: AirDroid)

AirDroid Business offers a centralized dashboard for administrators to manage all devices within the organization's network. This control center allows for remote app deployment, real-time device tracking, and enforcement of security protocols to protect sensitive corporate data. It also monitors device health, including battery life and storage usage, and the ability to lock or wipe lost or stolen devices to prevent data leaks.

The platform is known for its robust security features, including encrypted data transmission, role-based access control, and remote device lockdown in case of a security breach.

In addition to device management, AirDroid Business facilitates teamwork and collaboration with features such as screen sharing, file transfer, and two-way communication tools.

What makes AirDroid Business stand out is its scalability. It can adapt to the growth of your organization with customizable device groups, batch operation support, and comprehensive reporting tools.

By minimizing the time spent managing devices, AirDroid Business helps teams focus on core business activities and strategies, increasing productivity and profitability.

What about BYOD management?

As businesses embrace a more flexible work environment, the use of personal devices for professional tasks is rising. While this shift increases productivity and convenience, it also challenges managing a diverse and unpredictable device ecosystem. This is where AirDroid Business also stands out—it's not just another solution but a unique one that makes BYOD management feasible, secure, and efficient, setting it apart from many others.

A successful BYOD policy meets the needs of employees. AirDroid Business improves the BYOD experience by providing the following:

Increased autonomy for employees to use their devices, promoting comfort and efficiency.
Flexible collaboration tools, including file sharing and messaging, facilitating teamwork across different devices and platforms.
Streamlined work processes, allowing employees to access company resources securely from their devices anytime and anywhere.

Implementing AirDroid Business within a BYOD framework offers a competitive advantage by addressing the complexities of device diversity while maintaining data integrity. Here are some key reasons why AirDroid Business is an essential asset for BYOD workplaces:

Customizable Control: Administrators can customize permissions and access levels based on an employee's role and specific needs.

Cost-Effective: Improved device management can help companies reduce the overhead expenses of providing company-owned devices.

Easy Integration: AirDroid Business is designed to be user-friendly, ensuring smooth integration into existing workflows for IT departments and employees.

Real-Time Support: The platform's capability to offer instant support and communication enhances employee productivity and satisfaction.

Supported devices and installation

AirDroid Business is designed specifically for Android devices, but it allows you to control devices on Windows, macOS, and even iOS. You can also access clients through various web browsers, including Google Chrome, Microsoft Edge, Mozilla Firefox, and Apple Safari.

Managing gadgets from afar can present a challenge for IT administrators and business owners. Nonetheless, AirDroid Business can streamline this process.

To get started, you need to create an account on the AirDroid Business website. You’ll find the registration process relatively pain-free. Once you register, you’ll be asked to confirm your account via email.

Next, assess your business needs. Identify the areas of your operations that could benefit from mobile device management and establish implementation guidelines.

AirDroid Business provides a wide array of services to cater to your needs. These include device tracking, remote control monitoring, application management, file distribution, document sharing, and geofencing. With such a comprehensive suite of features, you can effectively manage your mobile devices from a single platform.

To effectively oversee the devices, you need to install the AirDroid Business Daemon app on each device. The setup process is amazingly simple.

Once you begin installing the client software, you can log in to your AirDroid Business Admin Console through a web browser to begin managing your devices.

From the console, you have the ability to remotely take over devices and quickly deploy, update, or uninstall applications across devices simultaneously using the Application Management feature.

You can also swiftly transfer files to and from your managed devices through the File Transfer functionality for file exchanges.

Two other features include:

Setting Boundaries: Use the “Geofencing” capability to establish perimeters for your devices and receive alerts when a device enters or exits a zone.

Device Monitoring: Stay informed about your device status in time, including battery levels, system versions, and usage details.

Plans and pricing

AirDroid Business pricing — (Image credit: AirDroid)

AirDroid Business offers transparent and flexible pricing plans to meet the needs of small businesses and larger enterprises. The basic plan starts at $12.00 per year for managing up to 10 devices, making it an affordable option for small-scale deployments.

Discounts are available to manage more devices and features, catering to the scalability needs of growing companies. For a full range of services and specific pricing tailored to the size of the device fleet and unique business requirements, engaging in direct negotiations with the AirDroid Business sales team is recommended.

In addition to remote device management, AirDroid Business provides add-on products such as Policy & Kiosk Mode, offering a more comprehensive array of security and management options essential for businesses needing to lock down devices for specific uses or enforce company policies remotely.

For organizations looking to integrate AirDroid Business into their IT infrastructure, detailed pricing or a tailored quote can be provided upon request to ensure that the solution fits the business's exact needs regarding device management, security policies, and operational efficiency.

Final Verdict

The features offered by AirDroid Business include remote control, file transfer, device health monitoring, and kiosk mode, making it a comprehensive solution for businesses looking to manage and secure their mobile devices. However, the learning curve associated with implementing these features and the potential need for training employees should be considered.

Moreover, businesses should assess their reliance on internet connectivity to use AirDroid Business effectively. While the solution offers excellent flexibility and accessibility, it's essential to consider the impact of internet outages on day-to-day operations.

Privacy implications are also a significant consideration. With access to sensitive company data and the ability to remotely control devices, businesses must ensure the highest data security and user privacy standards.

Cost is another factor to evaluate. While AirDroid Business offers valuable features, the pricing structure should align with the company's budget and provide a clear return on investment.

Lastly, potential compatibility issues with different devices and operating systems should be thoroughly examined to ensure seamless integration with existing infrastructure. In other words, if you aren't planning on using this on Android-based devices, you need to look elsewhere.

In summary, while AirDroid Business is a powerful tool for mobile device management, businesses should carefully weigh the advantages and disadvantages to determine its suitability for their specific needs.

Voigtländer Nokton D35mm f/1.2: two-minute review

I've bemoaned the fact that Nikon's gorgeous new retro cameras, the Zf and Z fc, lack any lenses that equally pack the old-school appeal. However, it turns out that you won't need to make do with modern-style mirrorless lenses, or resort to adapting Nikon's old SLR lenses with old-school quality, because there's another name in today's retro game: Voigtländer.

I first saw the old-time German lens maker's Voigtländer D35mm f/1.2 Nokton lens at the CP+ expo in Yokohama, Japan. It was mounted on a Nikon Z fc and the pairing offered up a true blast from the past.

Voigtländer Nokton D35mm f/1.2 specs

Type: Prime
Sensor: APS-C
Focal length: 35mm (around 53mm APS-C)
Max aperture: f/1.2
Minimum focus: 11.8in / 30cm
Filter size: 46mm
Dimensions: 2.6 x 1.6in / 65.8 x 41.0mm
Weight: 8.1oz / 230g

Made in Japan, the lens might look like it's from the 1980's, but it is in fact a Z-mount lens for today's latest Nikon mirrorless cameras, and is around two years old now.

The super-brief amount of time spent with the retro stunner at CP+ left me wanting more, and I just had to get my hands on it again for a much longer play. Thanks to the good folks at Flaghead Photographic, that became a reality and now I've completed this long-term review.

Voigtländer's lens has won over both me, and my camera enthusiast father who first introduced me to Nikon SLR cameras back when I was a teen. Mounted to a Nikon Z fc, the gear has taken us back to simpler times, all while offering Nikon's superb mirrorless tech for 2024. If you already own a Z fc or are considering one, then Voigtländer's lens should be your next lens to go with it.

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Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens in the hand — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens in the hand on a Nikon Z fc — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens on a wooden table — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens on a Nikon Z fc — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

Voigtländer Nokton D 35mm f/1.2: Design

Made in Japan
Meaningful attention to retro details
Manual focus only

The Voigtländer Nokton D 35mm f/1.2 is an APS-C lens with approximate 53mm full-frame equivalent focal length. It's also available for Fujifilm X-mount and Sony E-mount, with each version being considerately designed to match each brand's style. For me, the Nikon Z-mount version is easily the pick of the bunch.

It's a manual focus-only lens decked with a ridged focus ring, focus distance markings, plus an aperture ring with colorful aperture markings. The focus ring has a smooth rotation, while the aperture ring is clicked. All of these details are crucial; they're faithful recreations of Nikon's old-school design.

If you're already fond of Nikon's SLR lenses from decades past, then it will be love at first sight, love at first hold and love at first use. This is the real retro deal, with the design touches alone enough to elevate Voigtländer's lens to the top of Z fc owners' wish list.

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Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens with lens hood and lens cap attached — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens on a wooden table alongside a Nikon Z fc — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Close up of the electronic contacts on the rear of the Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Speaking of the Nikon Z fc, it has shutter speed and ISO exposure dials (see above); but, currently, not a single Nikon Z-mount mirrorless lens has an aperture ring. With the Voigtländer lens you now get aperture control, meaning the manual exposure triangle of ISO, shutter speed and aperture is complete.

Build quality is solid. The lens mount is made of metal, although it isn't rubber-sealed nor weather-resistant. However, you're afforded the modern convenience of electronic contacts, meaning all metadata is logged in your files for easy reference, including camera settings such as aperture, plus the date created.

You're primarily buying the Voigtländer Nokton D 35mm f/1.2 because of how it looks and feels, rather than its ease of use – it's a manual focus lens, after all – and, honestly, that will be enough for most people. But what of the images it can produce?

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Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens on a wooden table attached to a Nikon Z fc — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Closeup of the Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens aperture blades — (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Voigtländer Nokton D 35mm f/1.2: Performance

True sharpness kicks in at f/2 to f/8
Characterful bokeh
Manual focusing can be challenging when depth of field is shallow

Technically, you can use the Voigtländer Nokton D 35mm f/1.2 lens with a full-frame camera such as the Z f, but because it's an APS-C lens, you won't be making the most of the lens' image circle; the camera will automatically crop 1.5x because of vignetting, creating a field of view that's approximate to an 80mm lens.

With an APS-C camera, you have an every-day lens that's especially good for portrait photography, provided you get the hang of manual focus, which is pretty tough at such shallow depths of field. Without Nikon's subject detection autofocus at your disposal, you won't get as many critically sharp photos, no matter how long you hone focus nor how still your subject.

There's 12 aperture blades to create a smooth and rounded bokeh, especially when wide open at f/1.2. I've included various sample images that illustrate bokeh, sharpness and distortions, turning all in-camera lens corrections off (although there's no real reason to do that). The images below are taken in sequence at f/1.2, f/1.8, f/2.8, f/4 and f/5.6.

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Portrait with pronounced bokeh, taken with the Nikon Z fc and Voigtlander D35mm f/1.2 Nokton lens — f/1.2 (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Bokeh is cats-eye in shape in the corners; I don't mind that over the sought-after circular bokeh. And in some images the out-of-focus backgrounds have a surreal quality to them – for instance, the photo of the goat with the ground behind it in the general gallery below.

The f/1.2 maximum aperture is faster than any one of Nikon's lenses in this sensor format, giving you excellent low light and shallow depth of field potential. However, to begin seeing the lens' technical quality, you'll need to stop the aperture down to around f/2 for sharper detail and better control over lens distortions such as vignetting.

You're then in a quandry – for many users, the draw for the lens' images will be the fast f/1.2 aperture, where you can get dreamy bokeh, provided your subject in focus is close enough. I've included an out-of-focus shot to show what the bokeh could look like, but the other shot in focus is more realistic based on portraits you're likely to take.

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Bang for buck, I'd say that image quality is good – and the primary reason for knocking a mark off the lens' score, while its undisputed design scores top marks.

There are technically better lenses available, but none can compare to the feeling you get with the Voigtländer. It has certain characteristics that you come to know and grow to love.

If you own a Nikon Z fc because you fell for its charm, then the Voigtländer Nokton D35mm f/1.2 should be the next lens on your shopping list, even if it's a fraction on the pricey side.

Voigtländer Nokton D35mm f/1.2: sample images

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Voigtlander D 35mm f1.2 Nokton lens sample images at f/1.2 — Portrait at f/1.2 (Image credit: Future | Tim Coleman)

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Should you buy the Voigtländer Nokton D35mm f/1.2?

Buy it if...

Don't buy it if...

How I tested the Voigtländer Nokton D35mm f/1.2

Regular use for over a month
All kinds of photos, including portraits
Used mainly in fair weather, plus day and night

I've had the Voigtländer Nokton D35mm f/1.2 and Nikon Z fc on long-term loan for this review. The gear has accompanied me on many days out, during walks, documenting family life, capturing portraits – in essence, a walk around lens.

I've taken the same photos at all aperture settings to check lens sharpness and distortion, and paid much attention to the experience around portrait photography. The lens isn't weather-sealed and so, in general, I've guarded it well – although it has experienced light rain on the odd occasion.

First reviewed May 2024

Realme GT6 launch date revealed

4:55 pm |