For many of us we use email like our lives depends on it. The notion of always being connected through our pda’s, blackberries, laptops, desktops, iPod touch, and now the iPad gives us our email at almost an instant.  Many of us use different email clients as a data store for all of our email, be it Microsoft Outlook for Windows and/or Mail for Mac OS just to mention a few.  These programs have been around for a while and because of our familiarity with these programs we use them religiously. With these we take the good and the bad, just dealing with all of the pros and cons to the selected client. Although there are other email clients available to use we are just as stubborn as a bull when it comes to switching. One email client that has in particular gained ground is Claws Mail.

Claws mail is the newest version of Sylpheed-Claws in which the earlier versions was known for its stable and fast platform. By becoming its own standing client, Claws mail has “clawed” its way to the top of the non – familiar mail clients. With support for all of the major operating systems; Claws Mail boasts the following features:  Multiple accounts, Threaded display, Filtering, Mime attachments, SSL support, User-defined headers, MH and Mbox folder support/import/export, and Plugin capabilities.

The fact that this email client is based on Linux gives it is backing for a truly customizable experience. By downloading additional pluggins and templates to add to the client it truly makes the environment more suitable to you. Many of these customizable features gives you more control on how you see, view, compose, and respond to email. Just as this is an advantage to some, it also is a disadvantage to others. If you aren’t familiar with Linux and the way it works then you may not feel as comfortable using this software. Some may not like the look and feel of the client. For example some may not like the folder structure in the left viewing pane.  Since there are so many options regarding the client that you can change, there are few users who find Claw’s Mail to advance.  Others find that all of the added features and fast loading platform have made them never want to look back to other email clients. Some say they just don’t want to change even if its better, they can deal with what they have.

For us here at Calcom Technologies we like the client a lot and will recommend as well as support it, but you can call us old reliable as we stay primarily Outlook users.

You’re thinking what are you trying to say, back up flies? No, we are introducing to some a new software company that has emerged onto the technology scene and have been receiving rave reviews for its product. Backupify is the name of the software product they produce that provides a way to back up all your cloud data.  Cloud data is derived from the definition of cloud computing which is;  Internet -based computing, whereby shared resources, software and information are used by computers and other devices on-demand, like a traditional utility.

What this means is that this software gives you the ability to backup all your data from your social media sites as well as internet based accounts. These include but aren’t limited to Twitter, Flickr, Delicious, Zoho, Google Docs, Photobucket, Wordpress, Basecamp, Gmail, Facebook, and Blogger.

The software boats an easy setup, low process utilization and set and forget installation. Most of all it provides 2 GB of storage free with amounts higher at a very low affordable cost.  It’s just that simple; all you have to do during the setup is provide them with you usernames and passwords for each application/social media site you would like to backup.

The fact that it doesn’t heavily interfere with process utilization is a definite plus. Also, the 2gb free storage will add to the number of users willing to try it out and as their data grows won’t have a problem kicking out a few bucks to back it up. The only problem we foresee at Calcom Technologies is if the price jumps then it may not be worth it to some. The mere fact that it is possible to back up all your internet information just gives us a clue that social media is here to stay. All the while continue to grow as more apps come into the significantly increasing market. Will this backup solution Backupify be something you use?  Leave us a comment with your thoughts.

So here we are again with another phone actively seeking to beat out the iPhone and it’s by the name of Droid. The Droid is Verizon Wireless’ attempt to give users a phone that is better than the iPhone. With its extensive marketing campaign specifically targeting the iPhone in its comparison, Calcom Technologies takes a look at this phone for our own comparison. 

At first look we didn’t think it was worth our time because of the poor results the G1 phone received running the same Android OS, but we were surprised. Running the brand new Cortex A8 processor this phone is extremely faster than its predecessor. Using this processor definitely gave web browsing on the phone a much needed boost although still not as smooth as the iPhone, but not bad at all. The Droid has email capabilities along with exchange active sync support so it can be used in the corporate environment. It is using Google’s background so all the Google apps and email are superb. It boasts a 5 megapixel camera, Wi-Fi access and a bright crystal display.

While this phone is safe to say at this point it can compare steadily to the iPhone, there are a few things that weren’t as appealing.  This phone isn’t as user friendly as you might expect it to be. The Android OS is still in its developmental phases so navigation at times is clunky and requires repeated taps of your keyboard entry. Also, there is a definite learning curve for anyone, even techies to get used to the phone’s capabilities and features. In addition to this, the phone right now doesn’t have world traveling capabilities so you are limited to the CDMA network, but it has been said that this will be changing soon.

Overall the Droid phone is a good phone that you will not be disappointed with if it appeals to you to purchase.

Windows 7 is the newest operating system made readily available to the public by software powerhouse Microsoft Corporation. This operating system is Microsoft’s latest attempt to better the computing world with a new operating system. It is also an attempt to recover itself from the dismal ratings its previous released operating system, Windows Vista received. So far the ratings have been all above average where to each many things are wonderful and some things one can do without. 

Calcom Technologies takes a firsthand look at the new OS and gives it two thumbs up right now.  Immediately we were impressed with the faster loading and shutdown times. Although it doesn’t compare to solid state drives, it’s a definite improvement.  Although Windows Vista introduced the new taskbar features, Windows 7 captures this taskbar slightly different with it pinning capabilities.  Pinning is the ability to add a program and/or desktop shortcuts to the taskbar with some added features. One of the other keynote features is the ability to run Windows XP in a virtual environment (available in professional and ultimate versions.) What this means is that while enjoying working with 7 you can simultaneously have an XP desktop emulated all on the same machine.  For the business, this presents itself as an amazing feature so that you can enjoy the benefits of upgrading without having to lose the ability to run your legacy applications because of compatibility issues. We found that the overall operation of the system was very smooth, easy, and free of some of the major hiccups Vista possessed.

Arguably one of the most annoying things with Vista was the many versions it came in. It has six different versions to choose from which made it very difficult to choose the right product for your environment. With the worry of the one you selected missing a feature because it was only available in another version is not the case with Windows 7. Its offers three distinct versions instead of six to users; home, professional, and ultimate versions so the choice is made very easy.

Although we feel at its current state Windows 7 is a very functional business and home operating system, there still is a learning curve that is needed/requires. Since the OS has some likens to Vista (e.g. look, and system structure) and the way things are placed, it may take one a little while to find where things are placed, there new location. As with anything new this should be expected, but after time passes we feel that you will enjoy it just as we are.

The Blackberry Tour (9630) is part of Research In Motion’s new high end series of phones geared for the enterprise and productive everyday user. This phone is an absolute knockout as it has a great visual appeal and comfortable feel with it’s likens to the blackberry bold and storm phones. The 35 key keyboard is very large and easy to use along with the impressive clarity of the 2.4 inch screen. It has a 3 megapixel camera that is capable of capturing high quality photos and video. The tour uses the 3G mobile network with world traveling capabilities.

The drawbacks of this phone include WI FI not available, and one day battery life. Having these options definitely would have made the phone a must have for anyone, as well as made internet browsing a lot better than it is right now. Browsing although, is still better that the blackberry curve models, but not as smooth as the Palm Pre or Iphone.

Overall this phone’s quality and effectiveness for everyday business and/or personal activities would make a great buy for anyone that loves blackberries. Anyone else looking for a phone capable of handling a lot of email, calendaring, contacts and dynamic multimedia activities this phone will definitely feed that appetite.

The Blackberry Tour is a great business phone and Calcom Technologies currently uses this phone as it’s corporate phone. We highly recommend it to anyone in the market for a new smart phone or a nice upgrade to your existing device. Feel free to give us a call or leave a comment if you have any questions.