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Google releases Android 4.4.3

A new version of Android, 4.4.3, has been released by Google recently. While, the latest version of Android KitKat will be available via over-the-air rollouts, the Android maker has released the factory images for Nexus 5, Nexus 7 (2013), Nexus 10, Nexus 4 and Nexus 7 (2012) devices.

Google has shared the source code of the Android 4.4.3 release at Android Open Source Project (AOSP). If the claims of US telecom operator T-Mobile are to be believed, Android 4.4.3 packs in loads of security enhancements and bug fixes. Google has included an all-new Google Dialler with Android 4.4.3 on Nexus 5. The updated version of Google Dialler offers a tweaked user-interface and other changes.

Here’s Mozilla’s very own open source browser-based gaming engine

Mozilla hails it as the “world’s easiest-touse WebGL game engine that is free, open source and backed by amazing developer tools.” Say hello to PlayCanvas, Mozilla’s very own JavaScript tailored, WebGL utilising browser-based gaming engine. Though this has taken more than three years to build, PlayCanvas is a fine example of how open source technology has arrived on a scale that was never imagined before. The fact that its code is out for all to see, marvel at, toil over and improve, goes to show how good the philosophy of open source technology is for the community, since it is based on sharing with the world at large, with no added costs.

PlayCanvas comes with support for all major graphics, physics, animations, input devices and components that are the pre-requisites for building professional high-quality no-holds-barred 3D games meant for both browsers as well as mobile devices. Moreover, implementation of the entity-component system will let game developers build stuff using blocks in the game. Use of HTML5 and WebGL will allow developers to build games that are completely cross-platform: equally playable on Windows, OS X, Android and iOS. Once you’re done, the game engine’s highly scalable back-end will let you host your games for free as well.

Looking for an alternative to Ubuntu Software Centre? Try App Grid

Although the Ubuntu Software Centre is downright amazing since it lets you search, install, buy and manage applications with ease, there are always those who just can’t have enough of default programs and apps. They like to hunt

Red Hat releases Enterprise Linux 7.0 and promises support for 10 years

After a 3.5-year lull, Red Hat has finally released version 7.0 of Red Hat Enterprise Linux (RHEL), its flagship operating system. RHEL 7.0 also updates the underlying Linux kernel that was used in RHEL 6.x from 2.6.32 to 3.10, bringing in much needed improvements for customers. Red Hat will support this release for 10 years, providing bug fixes, security releases and updates on a regular basis.

RHEL 7.0 boasts of interoperability with Windows Active Directory and automated scripting. The latest release also changes the default file system from EXT4 to XFS, compared to RHEL 6.x, which had the former. However, RHEL 7.0 will offer support for a variety of other file systems at the same time. The Docker (Linux container) compatibility in the update will ensure service providers and customers get better version-toversion application portability.

Further changes in RHEL 7.0 include: ƒ Rollback capabilities ƒ The ‘profiles’ feature that allows configuration definitions to be specified for particular workloads and deployed on demand ƒ Improved runtime management and monitoring capabilities

in their own time for alternatives that might be easier to work with and offer greater functionality at the same time. App Grid is a handy alternative to Ubuntu’s Software Centre that you could try!

Written from scratch, App Grid claims to provide considerably better start up and response times as well as an intuitive interface. Of course, there are some shortcomings—it makes use of a gridded background pattern among some other minor drawbacks which users could ignore since it’s so responsive and takes such less time to load content. However, one aspect that open source fans might resent is that App Grid is closed source! If you’re ready to overlook these factors, App Grid is available for Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, 13.10 and 14.04 LTS.

Simply add the following PPA to your software sources to install it:

sudo add-apt-repository -y ppa:appgrid/stable sudo apt-get update && sudo apt-get install app grid

You can use the .deb installer, too.

Kwheezy to change its name to Kebian once Debian Jessie gets stable

In tune with how Kubuntu represents Ubuntu, Kwheezy will most likely change its name to Kebian, once Debian Jessie becomes the stable Debian version. Notably, Kwheezy is a Debian 7 Wheezy fork that uses KDE as the default desktop environment.

Readers will recall that the latest version of the system is Kwheezy 1.5. It is based on Debian 7.4 and uses KDE 4.8.4 as the default DE and kernel 3.2. The Debian Installer team earlier announced the arrival of the first Alpha build of the Debian 8 ‘Jessie’ version. Debian developers are known for releasing highly stable builds. The Debian 8 Jessie Alpha 1 release is therefore being pitched as one that is almost free of all kinks.

It can be recalled that Jessie is the development version of Debian, for which work has been under way for quite some time now. The Debian 8 Jessie Alpha 1 is the first major official release from the Debian stable. The default desktop environment in the new Debian 8 Jessie is Xfce; however, a final decision on the exact environment to be shipped with the final release is expected to come in August 2014.

Apache launches Spark to boost Hadoop

In a bid to speed up jobs that run on the Hadoop data-processing platform, the Apache Software Foundation has announced the first production-ready release of its analysis software, ‘Spark’. Data-analysis jobs created by Apache Spark could run almost 100 times faster as compared to standard Apache Hadoop MapReduce jobs. No wonder it has been dubbed as the ‘Hadoop Swiss Army knife’.

MapReduce has been widely criticised for executing jobs in batch mode,

It’s official: Ubuntu One is now gone for good!

Canonical has finally withdrawn its Ubuntu One service after announcing it was axing the Dropbox competitor earlier this year, as the South African firm goes all out to focus on its operating system. Canonical clearly lives by the theory of ‘survival of the fittest’, since it has also stopped its streaming music service. Users must mark their calendars since stored data will be available for download only up to July 31, after which, all stored data will be lost forever.

Canonical had earlier attributed the lack of paid users and increased competition from Google Drive, Dropbox and other cloud storage services as the reason behind its own service floundering. “If we offer a service, we want it to compete on a global scale. For Ubuntu One to continue to do that would require more investments than we are willing to make,” CEO Jane Silber was quoted in a blog post.

So here’s how you can grab your data before July 31, 2014:

ƒ Simply log in to your Ubuntu One account and hit the orange button found under the main notice. You’ll receive all your data as a .zip file. ƒ If you’re looking for a direct import tool, Canonical has teamed up with cloud storage migration service, mover.io, for this very purpose.

Simply create your account and transfer your data (approx 2 GB) to other services, such as Dropbox,

Google Drive, etc, for free.

Meanwhile, annual subscribers will receive a pro-rated refund soon.

Linux Mint 17 Qiana launched

The latest iteration of Linux Mint, a.k.a. ‘Qiana’, has finally been released by creator Clement Lefebvre. Both the Cinnamon and Mate versions are now available for download with the KDE and XFCE versions coming out as well. Leaving behind a lot of the annoying traits of its previous versions, Linux Mint 16, also known as ‘Petra’, emerged as a solid release. With Linux Mint 17, the developers are trying to reach a new level. To start with, Qiana is an LTS release and the Mint team will support it until 2019.

While Linux Mint 16 was based on Ubuntu 13.10, Qiana is based on Ubuntu 14.04 LTS. The rock solid release (owing to its LTS nature) comes with a string of new improvements, particularly to the update manager, driver manager and the login screen. There is however no major overhaul in the design aspect. While Cinnamon and Mate users will feel at home, even Windows XP users could find Qiana a viable alternative.

However, Qiana does have a fair share of known bugs: ƒ It has issues with both Skype and

DVD playback in VLC. ƒ In some configurations, Qiana will not boot or will freeze in the presence of an NVidia graphics card, with the Mint team not disclosing which cards are affected.

The Mate version ships without Bluetooth support. Users will have to manually install a package to enable it.

Calendar of forthComing events

Name, Date and Venue Description

Deccan Ruby Conf. July 19, 2014; Pune

Interop.

July 24-25, 2014; New Delhi. September 4-5, 2014; Mumbai A one-day, single-track conference that boasts of workshops and talks, for both beginners and experts from the software development industry.

This event offers sessions and networking opportunities to all the attendees, and covers major areas like cloud computing and Big Data.

Contact Details and Website

Gautam Rege; Ph: 09881935656; Website: http://www.deccanrubyconf.org

Sanket Karode; Ph: 9833525695; Website: http://www.interop.com

4th Annual Datacenter Dynamics Converged.

September 18, 2014; Bengaluru The event aims to assist the community in the data centre domain by exchanging ideas, accessing market knowledge and launching new initiatives. Praveen Nair; Email: Praveen.nair@ datacenterdynamics.com; Ph: +91 9820003158; Website: http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/

Open Source India, November 7-8, 2014; NIMHANS Center, Bengaluru This is the premier open source conference in Asia that aims to nurture and promote the open source ecosystem across the sub-continent. Omar Farooq; Email: omar.farooq@ efy.in; Ph: 09958881862

CeBit

November 12-14, 2014; BIEC, Bengaluru This is one of the world’s leading business IT events, and offers a combination of services and benefits that will strengthen the Indian IT and ITES markets Website: http://www.cebit-india.com/

5th Annual Datacenter Dynamics Converged;

December 9, 2014; Riyadh The event aims to assist the community in the datacentre domain by exchanging ideas, accessing market knowledge and launching new initiatives. Praveen Nair; Email: Praveen.nair@ datacenterdynamics.com; Ph: +91 9820003158; Website: http://www.datacenterdynamics.com/

thereby not allowing real-time analysis of data. Whereas Spark lets you execute jobs in micro-batches, five seconds or less apart. It also provides greater stability compared to Twitter Storm, a real-time, stream-oriented Hadoop framework. Spark can be used for a variety of jobs such as analysing live data.

Features of the version 1.0 release include: ƒ A stable API that developers can use to interact with Spark though their own apps. ƒ A Spark SQL component for accessing structured data, etc.

Spark is fully compatible with Hadoop’s Distributed File System (HDFS), as also with other Hadoop components such as YARN and the HBase distributed database.

Samsung Galaxy Gear leaves Android behind as it receives a Tizen update!

Samsung is slowly moving to its own Tizen platform, leaving Android behind. After launching a range of wearable devices that run on Tizen, the company has rolled out a Tizen update for its first and only smart watch running Android - the Samsung Galaxy Gear smart watch. The Korean smartphone maker has started rolling out the Tizen firmware update for Galaxy Gear. The update is now available via Kies in select countries, and the company plans to make it available across the globe in the coming weeks.

The update reportedly comes with improved performance. It also offers a standalone music player, customisable shortcuts for tap-based inputs, voice

commands in the camera and more. However, there are no major UI changes. The improved battery life is a major plus.

Do remember that the software update will wipe out all the data from your smart watch; so before you check out the update, ensure that you have a backup of your data. Also, you will need to re-pair your device to your Samsung smartphone or tablet. It is possible that with the update, some of the applications might not work, as they were made for Android.

Alcatel to launch ‘Made for India’ Firefox smartphone soon

If you were waiting for the Firefox-based Alcatel Onetouch Fire to arrive in India, we should tell you that it is not happening, ever! Instead, the company has plans to launch another Firefox OS-based smartphone exclusively made for India.

In a tête-à-tête with EFYTimes.com, Piyush A Garg, project manager, APAC, BU India, said, “We will not launch the first Firefox smartphone in India, but we are working on an India-exclusive Firefox-based smartphone. The smartphone will be priced strategically for the Indian market and will be launched by the end of this year.”

Garg said that the upcoming Firefox phone will be launched in the budget price bracket and will not be carrier-independent. He said, “Firefox OS needs to grow in India. Considering the fact that Android has such a huge base in India, we are waiting for the right time to launch the Firefox-based smartphones.”

Here’s the smallest Linux PC you’ve ever seen!

Mini Linux boards are quite popular amongst the open source community. Raspberry Pi and BeagleBone board are pretty popular in this arena. But these aren’t quite as small as a new mini Linux PC known as VoCore. The device may very well be the smallest Linux PC that has ever been made by anyone.

It is reportedly only a coin-sized board that is fitted with a 32 MB SDRAM along with 8 MB of SPI flash memory and a 360 MHz SoC. The PC doesn’t have video out capabilities and neither does it have a GPU. This means that the device isn’t powerful enough to be used to create a home theatre or for gaming and other such purposes. Moreover, reports suggest that its performance is quite sluggish compared to the Raspberry Pi.

Don’t count it out just yet, though. The device has a 10/100 Ethernet along with USB and 802.11n Wi-Fi support. In addition, it is capable of running the OpenWrt, embedded Linux distro and can be used as an ultra portable super VPN router.

Ubuntu community manager Jono Bacon quits Canonical

Looks like it’s the summer of surprises for the open source community. After the very recent announcement of openSUSE community manager, Jos Poortvliet, quitting SUSE to join ownCloud, it’s now the turn of Ubuntu community manager Jono Bacon to hang up his boots. Jono will now be joining the XPRIZE Foundation as a senior director of community.

Microsoft’s Outlook app for Android exposes e-mails to hacking, reports Include Security

Security research firm, Include Security, has shockingly revealed that Microsoft’s Outlook.com app for Android-based smartphones is prone to exploitation. The fact that it stores email attachments in the file system area of Android OS means these are exposed to any rogue/third party app that has access to users’ smartphones. The issue particularly affects users on versions of Android prior to 4.4 (KitKat).

“This app is described as having been created by Seven Networks in conjunction or in association with Microsoft (i.e., it looks as if it was outsourced),” Include Security was quoted as saying in a blog post. Ondevice email storage has nothing to ensure the privacy of messages and attachments, said the firm. Since emails are stored on the app-specific file system, the PIN code feature of Microsoft’s app can protect only the graphical user interface. Evidently, the PIN code feature of the app cannot ensure the privacy of messages on the file system of the smartphone. “We feel users should be aware of cases like this as they often expect their phone’s emails to be ‘protected’ when using mobile messaging applications,” the firm added.

Microsoft, on its part, has denied any such privacy concerns being a direct result of its own actions. “We use a variety of security technologies and procedures to help protect your personal information from unauthorised access, use or disclosure,” Microsoft was quoted in a statement. “Additionally, customers who wish to encrypt their email can go through their phone settings and encrypt the SD card data,” it added.

Jono has been an iconic figure while building up the Ubuntu community that we know today. However, he leaves Canonical at a time when the company is reeling under a string of controversies, one of which involves Jono himself. He had called Richard M Stallman’s stand on Ubuntu’s privacy as childish, a statement he later apologised for. Jono however insists he is not leaving Canonical due to any controversy but has simply gone ahead and grabbed an excellent opportunity that came his way. “I am not leaving Canonical due to problems; I am moving on to a new opportunity at XPRIZE. I actually wasn’t looking for a move; I was quite content in my role at Canonical, but XPRIZE came out of nowhere, and it felt like a good next step to move forward to,” Jono was quoted as saying.

Google’s Apps Mobile Management for Android gets a major overhaul

As ‘bring your own device’ (BYOD) becomes a major part of how businesses operate today, global search engine giant Google has brought about a major overhaul in the Android management features. The overhaul is expected to help IT admins control access to the suite from their Android-powered devices.

As part of the overhaul, IT departments can trigger an account wipe in case a device hasn’t been synced with the server for a pre-determined period of time, courtesy Google Apps Mobile Management for Android. “So a lost device that wasn’t reported or the old device left in a drawer does not cause a security risk,” Clayton Jones, a product manager in Google’s enterprise unit, was quoted in a blog post.

Google Apps Mobile Management is available for the Business, Education and Government editions of the suite. In addition, it can manage devices running iOS and Windows Phone, as well as smartphones/tablets using Microsoft Exchange ActiveSync, like the BlackBerry 10.

Looking to get started with OpenStack? Try Canonical’s new cloud-in-a-box

If you’re looking for a quick, easy way to get started with the intricacies of the OpenStack cloud infrastructure, Canonical is around to help! After generating rave reviews at the recent OpenStack Summit in Atlanta, Canonical’s cloud-in-abox, a.k.a. the Orange Box, is now up for grabs.

Encased within a rugged black flight-case frame with built-in handles, the Orange Box is meant to provide useful instructions on OpenStack and other technologies via the Ubuntu Jumpstart training program. It will come loaded with Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, Metal-as-a-Service (MaaS) and Juju. “We are delighted to introduce a new delivery mechanism for Jumpstarts, leveraging the innovative Orange Box,” sources in the company were quoted in a statement. The statement said, “We’ll deliver an Orange Box to your office, and work with you for two days, learning the ins and outs of Ubuntu, MAAS, Juju, Landscape, and OpenStack, safely within the confines of an Orange Box and without

disrupting your production networks. You get to keep the box for two weeks and carry out your own testing, experimentation and exploration of Ubuntu’s rich ecosystem of cloud tools. We will join you again, a couple of weeks later, to review what you learned and discuss scaling these tools into your own data centre, onto your own enterprise hardware.”

The 16.8 kg box features 16 GB of DDR RAM, 10 four-core nodes and 120 GB of SSD storage. It will have an Intel i5-3427U CPU, an Intel HD4000 GPU and an Intel Gigabit network interface card (NIC). Built by Tranquil PC, the Orange Box can deploy OpenStack, Cloud Foundry and Hadoop workloads.

No more Cinnamon for Ubuntu users!

The popular Cinnamon PPA desktop environment for Ubuntu is going to be discontinued soon. According to reports, Gwendal Le Bihan, maintainer of the desktop environment, has announced that there will be no more stable releases.

Bihan wrote: “The stable PPA is indeed no longer being maintained. The nightly PPA is being kept for development purposes and should not be used on any sort of production machine (it can and will break at any time). To be honest, I don’t have an alternative to offer Ubuntu users at the moment, apart from switching to a distribution that does support Cinnamon. There are many such distributions out there, and I’m only hoping for someone to (finally) step up on Ubuntu’s side to provide proper packages to its users.”

Google invites developers to submit Android Wear apps

Google has finally invited developers to take a shot at the new Android Wear platform. As the company’s I/O Developer Conference for this year approaches, Google has invited them to submit apps for the platform for feedback. Android Wear is Google’s platform for wearable devices, which will be showcased first on LG’s G Watch and Motorola’s Moto 360 smartwatches.

In a tweet sent out by the company, the search giant wrote, “Have you created an app you’d like to get in the hands of #AndroidWear users? We’d like to see what you’ve built!…” Google’s Android Wear platform is a custom version of Android, which is tailored for wearable devices. The operating system was launched shortly after Samsung moved to its Tizen operating system for its new Gear smartwatches.

Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal is no longer supported

Following 18 months of official support, Canonical has finally pulled the curtains down on Ubuntu 12.10 Quantal Quetzal. Ubuntu 12.10 is no longer supported, so users are advised to upgrade to Ubuntu 14.04 via Ubuntu 13.10.

Ubuntu 12.10 was released on October 18, 2012. Canonical founder, Mark Shuttleworth, had announced that Ubuntu 12.10 would be named Quantal Quetzal on April 23, 2012, and it was the first of a series of three releases before the next LTS release. Meanwhile, support for the 13.10 release will also end in July. As such, Ubuntu’s latest release, 14.04 LTS, remains the only viable option for longterm Ubuntu users and its fan base.

Researchers discover first true Ransomware that attacks Android users!

A new Android malware has been discovered that can launch a full-blown ransom attack on a user’s device. According to reports, security firm ESET has discovered what is being called the first ever malware capable of encrypting data files on an Android smartphone, launching a ransom attack.

The malware, known as Simplocker, is a Russian-language Trojan that reportedly scans the SD card of a user’s device or its internal storage, and encrypts data files with a range of extensions. This includes files with extensions .doc, .jpg, .avi and .mp4. It uses Stron 256-bit AES encryption to lock the files.

Reports say that the splash screen from the malware states, as translated from Russian, “WARNING! Your phone is locked! The device is locked for viewing and distribution of child pornography, zoophilia and other perversions.” The malware then demands 260 Ukrainian Hryvnia (which is about £13 or $9) that can be paid using MoneXy, in exchange for the stolen data.

According to ESET, the current prevalence of the malware is ‘very low’. It is reportedly targeting Android in Russian-speaking countries, where the virus is contracted after downloading an app called ‘Sex xionix’ from a third party app store.

Multi-Functional Printers:

The Workflow Managers of Modern Workplaces

Gone are the days when printers just printed. Modern-day printers can do much more than what you expected five years ago. This article explores how multi-functional printers evolved and why you should consider buying them.

Multi-functional printers, commonly known as MFPs, have become the order of the day. With time, MFPs have evolved and reached a point where they can be complete productivity solutions that help businesses improve their workflow.

The demand for MFPs is increasing as they have an additional edge (with respect to functionality) over single function devices. Companies dealing with these products have reported increased adoption by small, mediumsized businesses as well as large enterprises. The primary factors leading to MFP adoption include higher levels of efficiency, lower total cost of ownership, high quality prints, ease of use and the overall value they offer. Multifunction colour laser printers possess true multitasking abilities, while also offering users the competitive advantage of colour, when work demands it.

Modern day MFPs have built-in capabilities that enable printing from the cloud and from mobile devices. MFPs now help workplaces of all sizes to significantly increase productivity and sustainability. They are also true enablers of the BYOD practice since they now have outstanding security features.

But should you invest in MFPs when they are more expensive than regular printers? You can answer this allimportant question after a bit of analysis at your end. A few important things you must keep in mind before you make the final choice are listed below. 1. Evaluate your needs: Commenting on the points to consider while buying an MFP, Nitin Hiranandani, director, Printing Systems, PPS, HP India, says, “The first thing that one should look at is one’s requirements. Understanding the need of the end user is of prime importance. Also, knowing how exactly you can use the MFP to manage your documents, simplify workflow and reduce paper use is important. You should know how many print, copy, fax and email jobs you would need on a daily basis. Also, arrive at an estimate on how many users will share the device and whether or not they need a colour capable device.”

Ideally, MFPs can be categorised based on their intended use, which is broadly—office or home. If you are looking to buy an MFP for your home, you probably would want to opt for a photo quality device, which means, you should go for an inkjet model. Besides, if you love photography and want to print photographs from all sources including your camera, USB drive, memory cards, et al, you need a photo-lab MFP. If you are looking for a device specifically for an office set-up, your documents are likely to have more text than photos, which means that a laser-class printer is the one for you. The device will help you fax and email, and includes an automatic document feeder (ADF) to scan, copy, fax and email multi-page documents. However, if you are looking for a device for both home and office purposes, an inkjet MFP is the right choice for you, for the photo quality that it offers, along with its office-centric features like an ADF and fax modem. 2. What features do you want? An MFP can offer a wide array of features. So it is advisable to make a list of features that you want. Hiranandani asserts, “It’s a given that an MFP will offer features like printing, scanning and copying, but these features may not be as straightforward as one may think. Some MFPs have restrictions on scanning over a USB connection. So, if you plan to connect your MFP to a network connection, ensure that the scanning function works on the network too.”

Some MFPs require a computer for copying. In case you want to copy documents without the computer, ensure that the MFP can work as a standalone copier. When it comes to faxing by an MFP, it operates as a standalone device, in most cases, with the user having control through the MFP’s keypad.

However, not all MFPs include the PC fax function, which allows faxing documents directly from the PC without having to print them first. MFPs can have the PC Fax feature as a fax utility, as a fax driver that you use like a print driver, or both

Most of the MFPs today come with flatbed scanners, which are good for scanning photos or single sheet documents. But an automatic document feeder (ADF) helps users easily scan, copy, fax and email multi-page documents. An ADF also lets you scan legal-sized pages in MFPs with letter-size flatbeds. However, not all MFPs offer this; so be sure to check if that is a feature you require.

If you deal with two-sided documents, an ADF offering duplex scan (for both sides of a page) is an apt choice. 3. Cost/value benefits: For an IT admin, knowing the total cost of ownership is extremely important. While evaluating the TCO of a multi-functional printer, just the initial cost of the hardware is not the only consideration. There are a number of other factors that should be considered, including the cost of supplies. After evaluating the ink costs, the inkjet multifunction printers tend to cost much more than the higher performing laser and solid ink multi-function printers. The TCO for MFPs that are hard to use and maintain is comparatively higher. So check this aspect thoroughly before you invest in a device. 4. Multi-tasking abilities: An MFP is called a multifunction device because of its multi-tasking capabilities. But does multi-tasking mean the ability to perform many functions or the ability to perform those functions simultaneously. There are some products in the market that may offer multiple functions but may not deliver all of them concurrently. This may eventually result in higher downtimes due to bottlenecks. So beware! 5. Bi-directional communication capabilities: Good bi-directional communication across the network and at the device is essential to keep the workflow running smoothly. Any delay or disconnect in communicating accurate information on time can result in more intervention by the IT admin, further adding to his burden. 6. Vendor’s long-term commitment: Before investing in an MFP, you should know what kind of device management, support and remote intelligence you will be offered. Do ensure the vendor’s commitment to providing a robust device. One of the features to check is the device’s relationship management software that helps in optimising its availability and uptime. You should look for a vendor who can provide superior response times and consistent quality of service. After all, to ensure a productive office, you must have your MFP up and running.

A few MFPs you could choose from Xerox WorkCentre

7830, 7835, 7845 and 7855 MFPs

• All these devices offer 1200 x 2400 dpi, while advanced print heads with Digital Image

Registration Control technology ensure precise control over colour matching. • These MFPs print at speeds of up to 55 ppm and include a high-capacity feeder that holds 2,000 sheets of paper. • They come with the ‘Earth Smart’ setting, helping businesses cut down on energy consumption with

Xerox’s EA Toner, which produces high quality images using less toner per page and requiring lower temperatures during printing.

HP Color LaserJet Pro

MFP M476

ƒ Supports embedded print options for Androidbased devices as well as simple, secure mobile print options including NFC touch-to-print and wireless direct. ƒ Comes with the Lightweight Directory Access

Protocol (LDAP) feature that simplifies access control for the scan, fax or copy functions, and improves productivity with corporate email directory lookup. ƒ Comes in two variants - HP Color LaserJet Pro

MFP M476nw and M476dn.

Xerox WorkCentre

5845, 5855, 5865, 5875 and 5890 MFPs

ƒ These devices print and copy up to 45 and 55 pages-perminute (ppm) (the 5845/5855 models). A speed of 90 ppm for businesses with higher print volumes is offered by the 5865, 5875 and 5890 MFPs. ƒ They can scan full-colour documents at the rate of up to 200 images per minute. ƒ Come with a more efficient toner—one that provides superior image quality, lasts longer and is easily replaceable by any user in the office, decreasing both maintenance and downtime. ƒ Have several environmentally-sensitive features including ENERGY STAR specifications, a ‘power save’ option that conserves electricity, and Xerox’s

‘Earth Smart’ setting to help users select the most environmentally conscious print options.

HP LaserJet Pro

MFP M126nw

ƒ Offers print, copy, scan and fax features. ƒ Comes with wireless direct printing, allowing small business owners to stay productive with easy, intuitive printing from smartphones, tablets and PCs. ƒ First HP three-in-one, black-and-white laser printer that comes with network and wireless features, making it an affordable proposition for SMB customers.

Canon imageRUNNER

ADVANCE C2220

ƒ Offers productivity in a smaller form factor. ƒ 20 ppm speed in black and white, and for colour. ƒ Intuitive 17.7-cm (7-inch) TFT LCD touchscreen with tilt. ƒ Easy user access and usage control. ƒ Supports finishing and flexible media options. ƒ Offers cloud connectivity.

Samsung

SCX-4701ND

ƒ Offers formats ranging from single-sided to double-sided booklets. ƒ The double-sided printing capabilities reduce costs significantly and ensure that your paper supplies last longer. ƒ Boasts of green performance due to EcoMode.

By: Diksha P Gupta

The author is senior assistant editor at EFY.

With inputs from HP, Samsung and Xerox.

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