Hasta La Gadget!

Samsung and SugarSync have inked a deal which will see the sync/share app preloaded on the Galaxy S III, adding to the smartphone’s AllShare Play feature with wireless file and media sync across devices. SugarSync Cloud will be bolted onto AllShare Play, giving each user 5GB of free online storage space (and the option to buy more), while existing users will instantly be able to access their current files from their new Samsung gadget.

Samsung first talked about its cloud storage plans back in April, when it confirmed it would be giving users a free 5GB of space to play with on their phones, tablets, Smart TVs and other devices. At the time, however, it was not specified that SugarSync would be the partner involved in providing that storage.

“Users can now save photos and video from their Samsung phones and tablets to the SugarSync Cloud” the storage company said today, “so they can access, view and play them at any time from other Samsung phones, tablets and Smart TVs.” The system – including signing up to the free storage offer – will all be managed from within the AllShare Play app itself.

Samsung has emphasized the sharing and streaming potential of the Galaxy S III from the start. The company has paid particular attention to its AllShare suite of apps and services, such as S-Beam; you can see a demonstration of AllShare Play and the other features in our full hands-on.

Samsung adds SugarSync cloud to AllShare Play on Galaxy S III is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Microsoft had a pretty big announcement to make the Worldwide Partners Conference this week in Toronto, showing off preview builds of some new tools that companies will definitely want to pay attention to. As it turns out, Microsoft has been preparing Windows Server to allow companies to set up virtual machines and servers of their own. The company then revealed a trio of services that will take advantage of the cloud computing tools found in Windows Server 2012, which Microsoft says will be shipping out to select manufacturers in August before getting a wider release in September.

With the CTP of these upcoming services, companies will be able to do three main things. First (and perhaps most obvious), they will be able to set up their own websites and web apps. Companies will also be able to set up their own virtual machines – be they Windows-based or Linux-based – and finally, they’ll be able to set up their own self-service portals.

Even though we have a general idea of when this software will be released, Microsoft isn’t parting with an actual release date just yet. When the software does arrive, however, we know that it will require at least four virtual machines running Windows Server 2012 or Windows Server 2008 R2, updated .NET framework for both versions 3.5 and 4, System Center 2012 SP1, MySQL 5.1, and SQL Server 2008. For more information on Microsoft’s cloud initiatives with Windows Server 2012 and Windows 8, check out our story timeline below!

[via PC World]

Microsoft prepares to roll out new Windows-based cloud systems is written by Eric Abent & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Gartner Inc. reported today that organizations will spend over $3.6 trillion worldwide on IT products and services, which is about a three percent increase compared to last year’s spending, totaling $3.5 trillion. The report was revised from a previous forecast of a 2.5 percent increase in spending this year on IT products and services.

The report said that the largest market for IT will continue to be telecommunication services, which will grow to $1.7 trillion this year—up 1.4 percent from last year. More will also be spent on Internet technology and consumer electronics by businesses in emerging economies. It’s expected that IT services will increase by about 2.3 percent this year largely due to demand for consulting services.

The cloud is going to be one of the areas that should experience some real significant growth, according to Gartner. Cloud tech spending is expected to grow to $109 billion—a whopping 19 percent this year. That amount is also expected to double by the year 2016.

[via Bloomberg]

Gartner reports global IT spending to reach $3.6 trillion this year is written by Elise Moreau & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.

Cisco has already tried to soothe angry customers by scrapping a key section in its new Linksys privacy agreement — a clause which allowed the company to monitor a person’s internet history via their router. However, realizing that probably wasn’t enough to quell the sense of intrusion, it’s now gone one step further. Writing on an official blog, Cisco VP Brett Wingo has declared that Linksys customers will no longer be pushed into signing up for Connect Cloud, the service which lay at the heart of the problem:

“In response to our customers’ concerns, we have simplified the process of opting-out of the Cisco Connect Cloud service and have changed the default setting back to traditional router set-up and management.”

In other words, you’ll no longer have to hook up to a convoluted cloud service just to access advanced settings on your router, and neither will you have to sign away an even greater chunk of your personal space — which is just how it should have been (and indeed how it was) in the first place.

Cisco climbs down another rung over unpopular Connect Cloud service originally appeared on Engadget on Fri, 06 Jul 2012 12:05:00 EDT. Please see our terms for use of feeds.

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Microsoft has revealed its first batch of Chinese start-ups picked for its Accelerator for Windows Azure innovation program, as the company attempts to gain a foothold in the huge and potent market. Ten pre-”A” stage startups have been selected from a choice of 46 candidates, and will get Microsoft’s stewardship for the next six months as well as two years of Azure cloud infrastructure access worth $60,000.

The program is aligned with existing government initiatives in China, which has selected cloud-computing as a strategic technological goal for the country” Microsoft says of the news. “China is obviously a huge market, so the opportunity for Microsoft to advance its cloud offering in conjunction with its efforts to help developing startups is significant.”

Although Microsoft is obviously pushing Azure, it’s also open to participants using open-source technology; six of the ten are apparently developing on open source platforms, in fact. The program will include mentorship from a group of technologists and entrepreneurs, including what Microsoft describes as “national thought leaders” along with six of the company’s own IEEE fellows They’ll also be provided with Microsoft software and development tools as part of the company’s BizSpark Plus program.

Microsoft isn’t alone in looking to China as the next big potential market for its products. The country is seen as a huge potential source of growth by Apple and others, though strict government controls mean foreign firms can struggle to successfully enter.

Inaugural Microsoft Accelerator for Windows Azure startups:

Snack Studio – A design driven team that creates high-quality Windows Phone applications, with every app the product of extensive research and analysis, geared to facilitate user enjoyment.
Microcare – An innovative company dedicated to providing quality service for mobile APP networks. Its pioneering service platform, Devs Desktop Real Device Testing Suite, provides testing services tailor-made for app developers.
Fotoable – A mobile, multimedia company with special focus on photo-related applications in areas such as album management, special effects, and animation.
Unidust – Wormhole is a leading “Siri”-like voice assistant for Android that enables users to have a conversation with their phone, makes phones easier to operate, and helps solve life problems.
EachCloud – A webpage bookmark tool that puts the webpages that intrigue a user into a short summary, or a webclip. Users who have similar webclips and interests can find each other, and even become friends.
BanBao – BanBao is a free Personalized Social Information Companion that puts your friends, news and tweets in one place so you can access them anywhere, anytime.
OpenXLive – A mobile gaming social network platform that offers compelling features including leader board, achievements, multi-player and SNS integration.
ApeHills – Creator of edu-tainment oriented apps and language learning apps for the Japanese market that is looking to expand into the Chinese market.
FeiYan – An app that allows users to gift a custom meal via text message, a very welcomed idea in China’s guanxi oriented culture.
Atom – Creates social collaboration tools that help mid- to small-sized enterprises socialize and coordinate software.

Microsoft reveals Chinese cloud startups in Azure scheme is written by Chris Davies & originally posted on SlashGear.
© 2005 – 2012, SlashGear. All right reserved.