Author: Casserly Consulting

Categories
How To

Tip of the Week: Browse Incognito Mode Better By Enabling Your Extensions

b2ap3_thumbnail_extensions_in_incognito_mode_400.jpg Fans of Google Chrome are familiar with using Incognito mode to cover their tracks and keep their Internet browsing private. Although, one downside of Incognito mode is that it disables your browser’s extensions by default. If this has been an annoyance for you, then you’ll be pleased to learn that switching on your extensions for Incognito Mode is easy to do.

Incognito mode might be a great way to browse the Internet with some semblance of privacy, but if it’s at the cost of your efficient browsing thanks to extensions, it’s somewhat unfortunate. Thankfully, there is a very simple way to make sure that your extensions work at all times, even when in Incognito mode.

Just follow these short directions and you’ll have extensions in your browser during Incognito mode:

  • Click Chrome’s menu button
  • Make your way to the More Tools
  • Click on Extensions
  • Go through the extensions and find the one that you want to enable in Incognito mode
  • Click on the Allow in Incognito Mode button

Well, there you have it. Now you can use your extensions even while in Incognito mode! Just keep in mind that there’s probably a very good reason why Google Chrome blocks extensions by default, so try to limit it to only extensions that you absolutely trust. The last thing you need is a security discrepancy caused by you trying to find a more convenient way to go about your daily business.

For more great tips and tricks to help you get the most out of your technology, subscribe to COMPANYNAME’s blog.

Categories
Business

Pair Up the Right Workers to Increase Productivity By 10%

b2ap3_thumbnail_action_leads_to_productivity_400.jpg Keeping your workers as productive as possible is a challenge for every employer. According to a recent study by the Harvard Business Review, there is one easy that you can increase productivity: By keeping a productive worker in close proximity to other workers.

Such a profound discovery could be enough to shake the foundations of how you form your departments and how the interior of your office looks. Theoretically, you could simply arrange your office in a way which takes advantage of this “productivity by proximity” rule, keeping those who get the most work done at the center of the action. This could inspire your less-dutiful employees to better themselves and improve how they work.

What’s interesting is just how the study describes this phenomenon: “We saw that neighbors have a significant impact on an employee’s performance, and it can be either positive or negative. In terms of magnitude, we found that approximately ten percent of a worker’s performance spills over to her neighbors. Replacing an average performer with one who is twice as productive results in his or her neighboring workers increasing their own productivity by about ten percent, on average.”

Maybe you’re feeling that you should reevaluate how your organization is approaching the office setup, but before you go and make drastic changes, keep in mind that doing this haphazardly could actually make things worse. This study highlights the benefits of productivity by proximity, but keep in mind that it also warns of how the exact opposite can happen too. For example, an employee who wants to get the most done, for example, could be held back by a slacker that’s nearby.

You need to also consider other factors that influence worker productivity, like motivation. If you have a worker who wants to learn how to do a better job, putting them next to someone who is highly motivated and willing to go the extra mile could help dramatically. On the other hand, a worker who doesn’t care about doing a good job won’t be impressed by the positive attitude of their peers.

This is a negativity that your business can do without. In this situation, it might seem tempting to just isolate workers so they don’t influence each other. You can do this by either providing them with their own office, giving them the freedom to work remotely, or removing the problem employee from the equation completely.

As you can see, motivation is a crucial when it comes to worker productivity. It’s logical to assume that if you can provide powerful motivators, your team will be more likely to do their best work. Allowing workers to improve themselves by learning from motivated employees can be a spectacular way of improving productivity.

One last thing to consider is the technology that your organization uses. Implementing cloud-based collaboration software and communication solutions like VoIP and instant messaging can be a great way to help employees stay in touch and be more productive, regardless of where they are working. This helps your staff (especially those who might need help) stay in constant contact with those who can help them, allowing your team to be productive at all times.

To take advantage of the latest and greatest technology solutions, reach out to COMPANYNAME at PHONENUMBER.

Categories
Business

Here’s a Cost-Effective Alternative to Onboarding Additional IT Staff

b2ap3_thumbnail_outsourced_it_400.jpg An internal IT department serves two primary purposes for businesses. The first is to keep an eye on your technology problems and resolve them. The second is to plan for the future and implement new strategies that will help your organization function more effectively. The problem for the average small business is that their IT department often doesn’t have the luxury of performing both of these tasks.

The root of the problem is that most IT departments are too busy dealing with technology support issues and requests from employees to innovate. Eventually, this lack of innovation could cost your business money.

Do You Know What You’re Paying Your IT Department For?
By definition, your IT department is supposed to plan methods for your business to improve its infrastructure through any means necessary. On the side, they are supposed to help your organization by providing technical support for your assets. By adhering to this model, your IT department should be able to find ways to improve your technology infrastructure, while providing technical assistance for those who need it. The problem is that, as technology becomes more complicated, the help demanded by employees increases.

While it might seem ideal to approach IT support with an internal IT department, it rarely works out. IT departments just don’t have as much time as they need to really work toward improving anything. Often times, these issues are either recurring or resolved simply by rebooting the system, which is a waste of your IT department’s time.

Is Your IT Department Taking Your Company Nowhere?
While your IT department struggles to keep up, your team will naturally need to make forward progress. However, when all they do is respond to problems without making progress in order to prevent them, it’s easy to overlook the fact that many of these problems can be prevented in the future with a little innovation in the present. Plus, when routine maintenance is foregone for the sake of solving short-term problems, you’ll lose out in the long-term due to decreased performance and security issues.

As you can see (perhaps even from your own experience), an in-house IT department is often more distracted by problems that aren’t even theirs to resolve, which pulls them away from work that could make your business better. As a result, many organizations seek to outsource the IT work of their IT department’s in order to make up lost time. This can include innovation, but more often than not, you’ll find that outsourcing routine IT tasks and technology support to be helpful to your company’s overall goals.

After all, your technicians were hired to innovate, so why not give them the opportunity to do so?

To learn more about outsourced IT, reach out to COMPANYNAME. We can provide a help desk, network audits, and so many more valuable IT services that will help your organization improve efficiency. Call us today at PHONENUMBER.

Categories
Security

Tip of the Week: Stuck Using a Public PC? Be Sure to Follow These 2 Privacy Tips

b2ap3_thumbnail_public_computers_are_dangerous_400.jpg Full disclosure: we don’t recommend doing anything important, or really anything at all, on a public computer. However, we understand that sometimes life works out in an unideal fashion, and sometimes you can be stuck doing something you shouldn’t, and otherwise wouldn’t. Even in these cases, there are steps you can take to preserve your security.

Despite the explosion in mobile device connectivity, the use of public computers is still remarkably common. Unfortunately, the same remarks can’t be said about their relative security. These open devices tend to have few solutions in place–if any–especially when compared to the average privately-held device.

However, as we go through the steps you need to take while using a public computer, we will also go through some alternatives that you really should consider implementing before you find yourself in this risky situation.

Use a Private Browser
The default settings for most web browsers are designed, more or less, for a single user’s exclusive use. This is why your browser collects data like your history, what you’ve downloaded, and account credentials. It’s all done to make the user’s experience simpler–which, on a private machine, isn’t necessarily a bad thing.

However, these capabilities don’t just go away because more than one person uses the computer, and so if you enter some sensitive credentials, the next user may be able to access and utilize them as well. Using a private browser prevents you from leaving those digital footprints on the machine by having it “forget” what you were just using it to access.

Keep in mind, private browsers aren’t a cure-all when it comes to your online security. Even though the computer itself won’t have a record of your browsing, it doesn’t mean that private browsers wipe your trail from the Internet as well. In order to do that, there are other measures you’ll have to take.

Use a Virtual Private Network
Virtual Private Networks, or VPNs, are a step up from a private browser. Once a user logs in to their VPN, their IP address is effectively shielded from view, and their activity is processed through an encrypted virtual tunnel. Using proxy servers that span across the globe, your identity and location are shielded enough that you will never be the target of an opportunistic attack.

As far as price is concerned with a VPN, there are free options out there, as well as many very reasonably priced, paid varieties. Your VPN would need to be set up on your office network before you plan on using it from an outside location.

When it comes to doing business while travelling, it’s only natural that the urge is there to use whatever is available. However, if you must decide between productivity and security, it is much more prudent to prioritize security. After all, without your security, you may just find that your finished product has been tampered with or stolen.

On the topic of security, it cannot be said enough that using a public computer in any professional capacity is simply not a risk that is worth taking. There is simply no way that you may be sure that your data is absolutely safe.

COMPANYNAME can help you maintain your security in situations like these. Give us a call at PHONENUMBER to learn more.

Categories
Miscellaneous

How Vizio Got Busted for Spying on Its Customers

b2ap3_thumbnail_vizio_smart_tv_spying_400.jpg What have you watched on TV lately? Actually, never mind; if you don’t want to tell us, we can just ask Vizio. Relax–we’re not actually going through with this, but the fact remains that 11 million owners of Vizio televisions had their viewing habits tracked by the manufacturer. Were you one of them?

A fine by the Federal Trade Commission, totalling $2.2 million, was issued to Vizio following its actions of collecting data on users. This data included what the televisions were displaying, regardless of what the input was; whether it was smart TV apps, DVD players, air broadcasts, the TV’s IP addresses, or cable boxes. Whatever the TV had on it, Vizio could gather the data and do with it as it pleased. A federal court ordered Vizio to delete any data that they collected before March 2016 because their customers were not told of the company’s data sharing practices.

To remedy this, Vizio now makes its data collection practices available through the TV’s settings. Also part of their settlement, Vizio now sends notifications directly to the user’s screen. Jerry Huang, Vizio’s General Counsel, issued a statement regarding the incident: “Instead, as the complaint notes, the practices challenged by the government related only to the use of viewing data in the ‘aggregate’ to create summary reports measuring viewing audiences or behaviors. Today, the FTC has made clear that all smart TV makers should get people’s consent before collecting and sharing television viewing information and Vizio now is leading the way.”

Of course, the question of what Vizio did with all of that data needs to be asked. Perhaps the company used the data to understand how customers were using its hardware, such as how frequently it was used and what kinds of devices were used in conjunction with it. This way, Vizio could use the data to better their products and make them more useful. Of course, that’s an optimistic view.

Another way that Vizio could have used this data is by collecting it to distribute to paying partners for marketing purposes. This type of data collection would be very lucrative for Vizio, a practice that could be difficult to ignore.

Was this collection of data a clear violation of generally-accepted ethics? That’s debatable, but the truth of the matter is that Vizio would have had a better time of it if they gave their customers the choice of being involved these data collection practices. If anything, it should make you consider how you’re using your own Internet-connected devices. You never know if and how they might be spying on you.

What are your thoughts on this development? Let us know in the comments, and be sure to subscribe to our blog.

Categories
Technology

Is New Hardware Procurement on Your IT Budget?

b2ap3_thumbnail_hardware_cost_400.jpg Depending on how long you’ve had your current workstation, you might start to see performance problems. Eventually, you’ll start to see issues that could cause downtime and lead to wasted assets. Therefore, you need to have a plan in order to replace your hardware before it fails. What’s the best way to do this without breaking your budget?

The answer is easy, and it’s called hardware procurement. This is way to help your business commit to regular hardware refreshes without spending an exorbitant amount of cash doing so. Through hardware procurement, you can get replacement servers, workstations, network components, and so much more without having to pay for them up-front.

How it Works
Purchasing new hardware can often be a financial problem, especially for big ticket items. You might be in the red for months following a hardware failure, or even up to a year. Still, even if it’s expensive, hardware refreshes are borderline necessary if you want to make sure that your business doesn’t fall victim to the eventual hardware failure, which can cause data loss. The question, therefore, is how you can accomplish all of this without breaking your IT budget.

Let’s Get Started with an Assessment
Are you unsure about investing in hardware procurement? COMPANYNAME can offer you a complete assessment of your IT infrastructure. This tells us if you have any outdated hardware components that are running in a way which might threaten your network with downtime. Furthermore, we can build you out an IT roadmap that helps you plan out your hardware refreshes for the next five or even ten years. This is crucial if you want to make sure that your organization can best implement new hardware in the long run.

Routinely updating your hardware is an important part of keeping your network secure, as well. Older hardware may not be getting the proper security patches and updates, which could put your business at risk of hacking attacks, in addition to the amplified risk of hardware failure. You don’t have the luxury of waiting until something bad happens to you, as the threat is omnipresent and could happen at any time.

To learn more about hardware refreshes and network audits, reach out to COMPANYNAME at PHONENUMBER.

Categories
How To

Tip of the Week: How to Prevent Windows 10 From Restarting While You’re Working

b2ap3_thumbnail_restart_windows_10_400.jpg How many times has this happened to you: you’ve walked back to your home or work PC after taking a break, only to find that Windows 10 installed new updates and automatically restarted? Thanks to Windows 10’s notoriously aggressive update behavior, any work that wasn’t saved was lost forever. It can be very frustrating to lose a project that you’ve spent hours on, through no fault of your own. Luckily, there are steps you can take to easily create a restart schedule.

In the fall of 2016, Microsoft issued an Anniversary Update to the Windows 10 OS. With this update, Microsoft included a new feature called “Active Hours.” Active Hours was created to let users specify the times when they’re more likely to be using their computers. In order to set up an Active Hours restart schedule, ensure that your computer has the Anniversary update installed (check your PC settings to see if it has already present). If you need help installing Windows 10 Anniversary, you can download this Update Assistant on Microsoft’s website: https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/windows/features.

After Windows 10 Anniversary is properly installed, follow these steps to setup Active Hours on your PC:

  1. Click on the Start menu and then the Settings. As a shortcut, you can also use Windows key + i on your keyboard.
  2. Next, select Update & Security.
    ib win 10 1
  3. Under the Windows Update tab, which will show up automatically, you’ll see a link to Change active hours. Click that.
    ib win 10 2
  4. From there, you can set your active hours (note: time lengths exceeding 12 hours will be marked as invalid).
    ib win 10 3
  5. Click Save to confirm your changes.

Now your PC will not install updates during those specified hours. But again, at most, you’re only covered for a 12-hour period. So, what about those times when you need to pull an all-nighter to complete a project? Not only can Windows 10 updates interrupt your productivity, they can also take a long time to install. To further prevent unwanted installations and restarts, you can also adjust your restart settings.

To change your restart settings, you’ll need to stay in the Update & Security section of your PC settings. Next:

  1. Click on Restart options, which is located under Change active hours.
    ib win 10 4
  2. Turn the feature On.
    ib win 10 5
  3. Next, set the day and time when you’d like Windows to finish installing updates. There is no need to save anything. As long as the switch is set to On, you’re all set.
    ib win 10 6

If you find that the On/Off switch is grayed out and you aren’t able to adjust it, this means that there are no new updates available at that time. In other words, you won’t have to worry about updates finishing up and forcing your PC to restart. Be sure to keep an eye on your restart options if you are planning to burn the candle at both ends.

There you have it. Windows 10 will no longer be able to bully you into halting your productivity. For more tips on how to avoid downtime for your hardware, give COMPANYNAME a call at PHONENUMBER.

Categories
Cloud

Your Plate is Full Enough. Updating Software Shouldn’t Be on It

b2ap3_thumbnail_enterprise_software_updates_400.jpg Making sure that your company’s software solutions are up-to-date is something that should take priority, but it’s a chore that’s difficult to perform without a little help. How can you make sure that security patches and updates are always implemented, without sacrificing all of the time and effort required to do so? Even if you don’t think you need them, we promise that they are worth your time–or that of your IT staff.

There’s no way around the importance of implementing software updates, no matter how hard you look for it. In terms of preventing threats from taking advantage of existing vulnerabilities in your software, applying patches is one of the best countermeasures that you can take. You want to make sure that you are taking a calculated approach to your updates so as to make sure there are no cut corners or mistakes being made.

Having a Maintenance Routine is Crucial
From a break-fix IT standpoint, your business will only get much-needed software updates when something goes wrong with your IT infrastructure. This is counterproductive, as you want software patches and security updates to be installed as soon as possible, following their release. Plus, it’s just bad business for a break-fix IT company to do something for you that would keep your technology from working properly. After all, their entire business model relies on your technology not working as intended, so why would they go out of their way to update your software?

Having someone be in charge of implementing software updates is the best way to make sure that this task actually happens. This also presents another important question: do you have employees who have time to do all of this? Keep in mind that software updates need to be done in a timely manner, and it’s likely that they will need to be performed after-hours, so as not to disturb daily operations.

So… How Do You Do It?
For organizations that have an in-house IT department, the responsibility of software updates will usually fall to their technicians. Considering how many things can go wrong if this doesn’t go according to plan, you want to make sure that this process is only handled by professionals. For businesses that don’t have the technical know-how, managed service providers allow for outsourced maintenance–including the remote implementation of security patches and updates. This means that you don’t have to use your company’s time and resources to implement software updates, allowing you to focus on keeping operations running.

Even businesses that do have an internal IT department can benefit from a remote monitoring and management solution. If you find that your IT staff is overworked and they don’t have time for mundane, time-consuming tasks like applying updates, COMPANYNAME can provide co-managed IT care to help your team. While your IT staff is busy innovating, we can take care of the tasks that nobody really wants to do, like issuing software updates to all workstations on your network.

Besides updating your workstations, other available updates for your technology can also be handled relatively easily by our team. Here are a few examples that you’ll want to keep in mind as you decide how you want to implement your software updates.

  • Operating systems: Remember the fiasco from a couple years ago when Microsoft stopped supporting its popular operating system, Windows XP? This is what can happen if you don’t routinely update your operating systems. You’ll no longer receive security updates and you’ll put your company’s sensitive data in jeopardy.
  • Legacy applications: When you rely on mission-critical software, you might be hesitant to implement patches or upgrade the software. Therefore, you need the assistance of technical experts who can help you either move away from legacy applications or install updates in a way that won’t cause downtime.
  • Hardware quality: Thinking beyond just software, your hardware needs regular attention as well, if you want to make sure operations aren’t hindered by unnecessary downtime. Hardware refreshes should be considered in tandem with your software updates, as there’s no reason to update the operating system on a failing piece of hardware when you can kill two birds with one stone by simply ordering a new workstation.

Does all of this sound intimidating? Reach out to COMPANYNAME and you’ll never have to worry about software updates again. To learn more about what we can do for your SMB, reach out to us at PHONENUMBER.

Categories
Business

The Difference Between a Satisfied Employee vs a Loyal Employee is Huge

b2ap3_thumbnail_brand_amd_employee_loyalty_400.jpg When you’re emotionally invested in something, there’s a better chance that you will enjoy it and find reason to do it. This is why marketers always attempt to use a good old tug-at-the-heartstrings tactic, as they know that if they can get their audience invested on an emotional level, they’ll be more willing to take the dive and try something new. The same tactic can be used to turn good employees into great employees.

Dr. John Fleming of Gallup conducted a survey that shows as much. He suspected that customer loyalty to a specific brand, product, person, or company was the result of an emotional attachment. To go the extra distance and get someone from being satisfied to loyal, the same general formula can be applied. According to Jay Forte of REWORK, the formula works like this:

  • If we don’t get it right, we create a dissatisfied customer. These customers don’t return.
  • If we get it right (deliver the service or product as expected), then we create a satisfied customer. These customers may return.
  • If we get it right and do something more (something that creates an emotional connection), then we create a loyal customer. These customers not only return, but they become brand evangelists.

If you consider why you’re loyal to the brands that you are, this makes a whole lot of sense. The formula predicts that this “conversion” from being a normal customer to a loyal customer is the result of getting more than what was expected from a brand in the first place. In other words, exceeding expectations is the key to taking satisfied customers and turning them into loyal, lifelong customers.

Now, let’s return to the original question; how can you turn a normal employee who is satisfied with their role in your organization, into a driven worker who wants to help your business succeed not just for its own sake, but for their own. One way you can bridge this emotional connection is by providing your employees with not just working technology, but top-notch technology.

  • Not getting it right: Imagine that you are an employee at a growing organization who is stuck using a lackluster workstation prone to freezing. You would quickly grow frustrated and imagine that management doesn’t care that your job performance depends on their technology working properly.
  • Getting it right: Now imagine that you’ve been given technology that works properly and keeps downtime to a minimum. Your major points of contention are taken care so you can perform your job adequately. These types of scenarios might allow for good work, but certainly not exceptional work.
  • Exceeding expectations: What if you were not only provided with working technology, but management also listened to your preferences and made sure that everyone was using technology that they were comfortable with? What if employees could use their own devices for work purposes? For many users, this is what is meant by going above and beyond.

What it comes down to is providing employees a good reason to stick around, as it would be a shame for good employees to leave if management can’t offer them emotional investment in their work. Similarly, it would be a shame if your technology were to break down if you don’t make time to take care of it. This is something that you don’t have to worry about; or, rather, you shouldn’t have to. After all, COMPANYNAME is here to help.

We believe that if we can provide great IT support, we can help your business improve and exceed even your own expectations. To learn more, reach out to us at PHONENUMBER.

Categories
Technology

Samsung Galaxy vs Google Pixel, Which is Best for You?

b2ap3_thumbnail_smartphone_comparison_400.jpg When it comes to Android mobile OS-run smartphones, consumers may wonder where the value is when they see so many name brands charging premium prices for their flagship devices. Two of the most popular devices, the Google Pixel and the Samsung Galaxy s7, seem to be in a league of their own in the Android market. Today we do a brief comparison:

Google Pixel & Google Pixel XL
Brand awareness plays a major part in whether or not a device is economically viable. In the past, Google has released their “flagship” devices under the Nexus monicker, and users have found them to be the cleanest Android-run devices on the market. The Google Nexus brand has been manufactured by several companies including Huawei, HTC, and LG as Google doesn’t find that the cost of starting their own smartphone manufacturing outfit to be viable. This time around Google once again partnered with HTC to create their newest namesake device, the Google Pixel.

Designed and marketed as the first truly Google phone, the Pixel comes in two sizes: one with a 5-inch display and a 2,700 mAh battery, and a larger version called the Pixel XL that features a 5.5-inch display and a larger 3,450 mAh battery. Otherwise the two devices are identical, making the choice between the smaller and larger versions more of a matter of preference than a deliberation between specifications.

Both devices feature a Qualcomm Snapdragon 821 processor with 4GB of RAM, and a 12.3 dual-LED camera, that is now considered by industry professionals as one of the best camera experiences available on a smartphone today. They both are made from aluminum and glass and come with a rear-mounted fingerprint reader for security.

The Pixel comes in three colors: Quite Black, Very Silver, and Really Blue. Customers can choose a device with an ample 32GB of onboard storage, or a 128GB version for those users in need of more storage space for their media. The device is available for all major carriers and can also be purchased on the Google Store, where financing is available.

Google Pixel
Dimensions – Aluminum & Glass design, 5.04 oz
Display – 5” AMOLED, 1080 x 1920 (~441 ppi)
Particulars – Android OS v7.1 {Nougat}, Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, Adreno 530, 4GB RAM, 32/128GB Internal Storage)
External Memory & SIM – None, Nano-SIM
Cameras – Rear facing: 12.3 MP, front facing: 8 MP
Battery – Non-removable 2,770 mAh
Other Information – Rear-mounted fingerprint reader, fast charging enabled, NFC enabled
Google Pixel XL
Dimensions – Aluminum & Glass design, 5.93 oz
Display – 5.5” AMOLED, 1440 x 2560 (~534 ppi)
Particulars – Android OS v7.1 {Nougat}, Qualcomm Snapdragon 821, Adreno 530, 4GB RAM, 32/128GB Internal Storage
External Memory & SIM – None, Nano-SIM
Cameras – Rear facing: 12.3 MP, front facing: 8 MP
Battery – Non-removable 3,450 mAh
Other Information – Rear-mounted fingerprint reader, fast charging enabled, NFC enabled

Samsung Galaxy s7 & Samsung Galaxy s7 Edge
If there has been an industry leader in the smartphone space, it has to be Samsung. Not only do they manufacture some of the most popular (and powerful) smartphones on the market, they produce components for several of their competitors’ devices. In a testament to their overwhelming popularity, of all the smartphones purchased in the first quarter of 2016, nearly a quarter of them were made by Samsung. Only time will tell if those numbers are sustained after their flagship smartphone, the Galaxy Note 7, was recalled and discontinued after hundreds of them were distributed with violently faulty batteries.

The Galaxy s7, however, is probably still the best smartphone on the market. The s7, and it’s sister product, the Galaxy s7 Edge, come with Super AMOLED displays, the most advanced chipset of any phone on the market and 4GB of RAM. If there is a feature you would like to see on a smartphone, the Samsung Galaxy s7, and s7 Edge, have it. They are dust and water resistant, they feature an always-on display, a great performing battery, and a return of expandable storage capabilities up to 200GB.

Like the Samsung Galaxy s7, the s7 Edge features a 5.5-inch Super AMOLED display, but the Edge features a rounded edge-to-edge design that some may favor. Each device features a fingerprint reader for security, fast-charging, and NFC for use with data transfer and payment platforms. It comes in six colors: Black, White, Gold, Silver, Pink Gold, Black Pearl, and Coral Blue; and, is available on every major smartphone carrier.

Samsung Galaxy s7
Dimensions – Corning Gorilla Glass 4 back panel
Display – 5.1 inches, 1440 x 2560 pixels (~577 ppi pixel density)
Particulars – Android OS, v6.0 (Marshmallow), upgradable to v7.0 (Nougat), Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 Exynos 8890 Octa,, 4GB RAM, 32/64GB Internal Storage
External Memory & SIM – microSD, up to 200GB (dedicated slot) – single-SIM model
microSD, up to 200GB (uses SIM 2 slot) – dual-SIM model
Cameras – Rear facing: 12 MP, Front facing: 9 MP
Battery – Non-removable Li-Ion 3000 mAh battery
Other Information – Fast charging enabled, NFC enabled
Sumsung Galaxy s7 Edge
Dimensions – Corning Gorilla Glass 4 back panel
Display – 5.5 inches, 1440 x 2560 pixels (~534 ppi pixel density)
Particulars – Android OS, v6.0 (Marshmallow), upgradable to v7.0 (Nougat), Qualcomm MSM8996 Snapdragon 820 Exynos 8890 Octa, 4GB RAM, 32/64/128GB Internal storage
External Memory & SIM – microSD, up to 200GB (dedicated slot) – single-SIM model
microSD, up to 200GB (uses SIM 2 slot) – dual-SIM model
Cameras – Rear facing: 12 MP, front facing: 5 MP
Battery – Non-removable Li-Ion 3600 mAh battery
Other Information – Fast charging enabled, NFC enabled

With the smartphone space becoming more and more convoluted, each of these devices provide a substantial upgrade over last year’s smartphones, while providing users the specifications and usability they seek in a new product. Their superior build-quality and industry-leading internals provide consumers the value they seek when shopping for the best smartphone for their dollar.

For more information about the latest mobile technology, call us today at PHONENUMBER.