I’m not sure if I was the only person who missed this in the announcement, but the new iPad can now function as a mifi, sharing your 4G internet connection with up to 5 devices. For someone like me who already has a Mifi from Verizon, this is VERY appealing. My iPad would have “Internet-always”, I could rid myself of the Mifi payment/contract, use the iPad data plans contract-free in its place, and get a case that would function similar to the Motorola Android phones’ Lapdocks (which I’ve wanted for a while).

And for me specifically I’d be moving from my 3G Mifi to the 4G speeds now available in this area.

I’m going to confirm this with Verizon (Apple chat confirmed this was the case, but I’d like to validate it once more before pulling the trigger), and will likely follow up with a post on how I’m replacing my workstation/laptop with an iPad to work

The ACC tournament is officially over and the NCAA tournament is about to begin.  The weather is warming up; the flowers are blooming.  I love this time of year.  That’s why I am bringing you readers “FLISH MADNESS” this week.  Five days, Five blogs, all Flish!

For the first blog of the week I am going to go over the totally awesome Xen App Citrix Mobility Pack.

“With this feature installed, XenApp shared desktops are automatically re-skinned for more intuitive touch-friendly use on tablet devices.  Tablet Optimized Desktops work with the currently available Receiver for iOS and Receiver for Android.

The pack also provides users with a true Native Device Experience  for hosted apps by recognizing the type of endpoint operating system and enabling mobile device features such as auto-keyboard popup, local selector controls, and auto-scrolling.  The new Receiver for Android is required to take advantage of these enhancements.

This pack is required to make the unique capabilities of a mobile device such as GPS, camera and other sensors available to application developers who may use it in conjunction with the XenApp 6.5 Mobile Application SDK to create custom, mobile-friendly applications hosted by XenApp in the data center. “

Let’s take a look.  (all screen shots taken from my iPad, thanks Ian!).

The First thing you’ll notice when you login to an optimized shared desktop is that the start bar is at the top and the application short cuts are centered at the top of the screen.

All applications open with one “touch” as you would expect them too natively on a mobile platform.

When you press the navigation arrow at the top you get the following drop down.

• The home button brings you back to the Citrix Receiver login screen where you can log into another desktop or launch a Citrix “presented” app.
• The Blue Tooth button allows you to pair a BT device with the desktop
• The arrow keys bring up the four directional arrow keys.
• The pointer brings up the mouse pointer to interact with OS or apps if needed.  Though while just using Microsoft office apps I saw no need for this.
• The magnifier enlarges any thing that’s in the diameter of the magnifier ring.
• The gesture button shows all the very nice touch functionality built in to the mobility pack.  My personal favorite is the three finger tap that brings up the native iPad keyboard.

• The switch button allows you to go back and forth between the native Windows start bar and switch between applications.

The last thing to note is the optimized task bar at the bottom of the screen. The arrow buttons allow the navigation for browsing when you have multiple applications open that span larger than what can fit on the one screen.

As I test more with this solution I will post additional findings.  For me the biggest take away is the “smoothness” at which the applications and desktop behave with native mobile like behavior!

The proliferation of smart phones and tablets is at record levels, and no one sees them stopping anytime soon. With these new devices coming out everyday, remote access and potential for issues to arise will continue to increase as well.

Mobile Security will be a big focus for a number of companies as we shift in 2012, and Trend Micro is here to help.

As smart phones and tablets enter and traverse networks at record levels, IT administrators will have to find ways to ensure that devices accessing corporate resources are secure.

Look no further than Trend Micro Mobile Security.

 There are 3 main technologies behind the security:

1. Walled Garden – essentially keeps network applications (email) completely separate from regular consumer applications

2. Remote Wipe – if the phone is lost or falls into non-company hands, it can be remotely wiped

3. Encryption – the contents of the phone can be encrypted and secure

As a plug-in to Trend Micro’s OfficeScan, organizations can quickly deploy the mobile security app to IOS (iPad & iPhone), Android, Windows, Symbian, and RIM Blackberry devices.

The devices can be remotely provisioned, encrypted and password protected. Remote lock, remote wipe, power-on-password enforcement, and location tracking are some of the key features that you will have at your disposal. Plus you’ll know that your devices will be protected through Trend Micro’s best in class cloud-based threat intelligence, Smart Protection Network, safeguarding against malware, viruses, malicious code and attacks.

Plus the app gives the smart phone user the ability to filter calls and messages. So if an unwanted user is calling and texting you, you can simply put them on the block list and move on.

 The game has changed: Smart Phones and Tablets are omnipresent and being able to prevent enterprise assets from being at risk is key.

eGroup can help.

Pick up a card at one of our next events, and get it punched by:

1) Attending an eGroup event
2) Attending an eGroup sponsored User Group
3) Stopping by our booth at a conference.
4) Taking advantage of “Bonus Punch” opportunities announced along the way!

Cards with at least 4 punches received by 8/31/2012 will receive an eGroup polo shirt, and cards with 6 punches will receive a polo shirt AND be entered into the drawing for an iPad.

September 7, 2011 – Mount Pleasant, SC – eGroup, Inc. today announced it is now enrolled in the Apple Developer Program.  The Apple Developer Programs offer a complete set of technical resources, support, and access to pre-release software — providing developers with everything they need to create innovative applications for iOS and Mac OS X, extensions for Safari, and accessories for iPod, iPhone and iPad.

Click here for more information on the Apple Developer Program.