12 MashUp News. Views. Trends. Tools.

HANDY RECORDER

Whether you need to
record voice memos
or conference
sessions or conduct
an interview, the
Zoom H1 takes
portable recording to
a whole new level of
easy. The handheld
recorder—about the
size of a computer
mouse—has an
easy-to-read backlit
LCD screen and a
large record button.
The Zoom H1 records
studio-quality audio
at up to 24-bit/
96 kHz. US$99.
samsontech.com

“It’s logical — if not enlightened — to think that lowering prices will improve one’s customer base. Of course customers like lower prices but they prefer competitive prices from a company that delivers great value.” —Lior Arussy, author of Customer Experience Strategy: The Complete Guide from Innovation to Execution (Strativity Group, 2010)

HARDWORKING APPS PAY THE BILLS While news and entertainment smartphone apps are downloaded most often, 59 percent of apps revenue comes from productivity tools.

Source: In-Stat, instat.com

f WHAT DID YOU SAY?

In our May/June issue, we asked if your company planned to upgrade to Oracle Database 11g Release 2 in the next six months.

The results:

YES

47%

NO 30%

UNSURE 23%

Fall is the time to renew your commitment to learning, whether in a classroom or on the go. These apps will teach you a lesson.

BACK TO SCHOOL

Graphing
Init.ora
Open
Calculator

Toss that brick you carried in college. This high-resolution function plotter and scientific calculator supports more than 30 functions, with more to come.

A browsable, searchable reference containing almost all initiation parameters for

Culture

Oracle Database
(Releases 7 to 11g).
Neither 3G nor WiFi
is required. Free
US$1.99 (iPhone).
iphone-calc.com

(iPhone). initora
. zen-conseil.com
Access free
educational media,
including audio
books, university
courses, podcasts,
videos, and
language lessons.
Downloads require
WiFi. Free (iPhone).
openculture.com/
iphone

TED Watch informative talks from the annual TED (technology, entertainment, design) conference. Free (Android, iPhone, and Windows Mobile). motherapp.com/ en/showcase/ motherted

Virtual teams, particularly those that cross international borders, have to work through a variety of challenges.

Technology is the least challenging, while time zones—which no one can control—are the most challenging. 600 employees of multinational corporations were surveyed.

Source: RW3 Culture Wizard, rw-3.com

THE CHALLENGES OF VIRTUAL TEAMS

Time Zones

12% 7%

Challenging Not Challenging Not Applicable

Language

30%

81%

64%

6%

Holidays, Local Laws and Customs

37%

59%

4%

Technology

43%

52%

5%

If you’ve always wanted to own a Ferrari, now you can. But you’ll be driving this one with your thumbs. The glossy red Acer Liquid E Ferrari special edition smartphone runs on the Android 2. 1 operating system. It boasts chrome trim, a 3.5-inch high-resolution capacitive touchscreen, Ferrari wallpaper, and a set of Ferrari engine ringtones. The back of the phone sports the legendary “Scuderia Ferrari” shield with carbon fibre details, as well as a 5 megapixel camera with autofocus and geotagging. Matching glossy red Ferrari accessories are also available. Contact Acer for pricing. acer.com/mobile FERRARI SMARTPHONE