Technology news

Editor’s note: Technology is playing an increasing role in the day-to-day business of sales reps. In this department, Repertoire will profile the latest developments in software and gadgets that reps can use for work and play.

Bye bye, BlackBerry

It was a sad beginning to 2022 for tech nostalgia. Service on BlackBerry cellphones shut down for good on January 4, closing the door on a piece of technology that helped usher in a revolution in communications, CBS News reported. BlackBerry announced in September 2020 that it would stop updating operating systems and software for its devices on January 4, 2022. The move impacts devices running BlackBerry’s 7.1 OS as well as earlier platforms, BlackBerry 10 software and BlackBerry PlayBook OS 2.1. Other related services, including BlackBerry messenger and BlackBerry hosted emails, also are ending. Bloomberg reported that the company’s appeal waned as Apple Inc.’s iPhone and a slew of Android handsets with larger displays, better graphics and wider app offerings took over the market during the past decade.

LG releases Filmmaker Mode

LG recently rolled out a feature update which will enable all LG 2020 and 2021 4K and 8K UHD Smart TV customers to automatically be able to view movies and series on Prime Video in Filmmaker Mode, allowing them a viewing experience the way the content creators intended it.

Filmmaker Mode was created by the UHD Alliance, comprised of the world’s leading consumer electronics manufacturers, film and television studios, content distributors and technology companies, seeking to ensure the best UHD viewing experiences. First unveiled in 2019 and featured in LG TVs in 2020, Filmmaker Mode was designed to preserve the visual intent of the content creator, bringing the home viewing experience as close as possible to that of an actual theatrical release.

LG and Amazon now take that vision a step further with Prime Video content embedded with a signal that automatically triggers Filmmaker Mode on 4K and 8K UHD LG TV models running webOS 5.0 and webOS 6.0. 1 This ability for compatible TVs to detect and adjust settings to Filmmaker Mode without the need for the viewer to change the setting manually is “an industry first,” LG said in a release, and paves the way for future TVs to better support streaming services without imposing additional steps on viewers.

Microsoft releases new Teams offering

Microsoft Corp. announced the general availability of Teams Essentials, the first-ever standalone Microsoft Teams offering, designed specifically for small businesses. Priced at $4 a month, Teams Essentials gives small businesses a professional and affordable meetings solution to support collaboration, connection and productivity in a hybrid work environment.

“We know how difficult the past 20 months have been for small businesses. They’ve had to demonstrate extreme flexibility to adapt, often with limited access to tools and technology,” said Jared Spataro, corporate vice president of Modern Work at Microsoft. “Teams Essentials is built specifically to meet the unique needs of small businesses, enabling them to thrive in this new era of work.”

Teams Essentials provides expansive limits and features for hosting professional meetings and collaborating in one place: ʯ Unlimited group meetings for up to 30 hours ʯ Meetings with up to 300 people ʯ 10 GB of cloud storage per user ʯ Teams Essentials also includes existing and new capabilities available in the free version of Teams to meet the needs of small businesses: ʯ Simple, easy invitations require only an email address.

Users are not required to sign up, sign in or install Teams to participate in a meeting. ʯ In addition to Outlook

Calendar integration, new

Google Calendar integration makes it easy to schedule meetings in Microsoft Teams. *Coming soon ʯ Professional meeting tools and capabilities like meeting lobby, virtual backgrounds,

Together mode, live closed captions and live reactions. ʯ Never lose context or continuity with always-available chats in Microsoft Teams. ʯ Quickly start a group project and host meetings with anyone, assign tasks to teammates, and create polls to receive feedback quickly all in one hub with the new small-business group chat template. *Coming soon to desktop and web

Kicking it Freestyle

Samsung Electronics recently announced the launch of its all-new portable screen and entertainment device, The Freestyle. The Freestyle offers first-of-its-kind technology and flexibility to deliver optimal viewing and entertainment for customers looking to bring video and audio content wherever they go, the company said. Targeted toward Gen Z and millennials, The Freestyle is a projector, smart speaker and ambient lighting device all rolled into one lightweight, portable device.

When it comes to portability, The Freestyle weighs only 830 grams allowing to change any space into a screen with ease. Unlike conventional, boxy projectors, The Freestyle’s versatile cradle allows rotation of up to 180 degrees, enabling users to show high-quality video anywhere – tables, floors, walls or even ceilings – no separate screen required. The Freestyle comes with full auto keystone and auto leveling features, enabled by industry-leading technology. The features allow the device to automatically adjust its screen to any surface at any angle, providing a perfectly proportional image every time. Additionally, the auto focus feature allows The Freestyle to display a crystal-clear image on any surface, at any angle, up to 100 inches in size. The Freestyle also comes with a dual passive radiator enabling a clean and deeper bass without distortion, and its 360-degree sound radiation allows customers to enjoy a cinemaquality sound experience no matter where they are.