3PL, and the software that runs it

Third-party logistics or 3PL uses special logistics companies to do stuff that have traditionally been performed in-house. According to Wiki definition, third-party logistics includes any form of outsourcing of logistics that were previously performed within the company itself. If a company with its own warehousing facilities decides to employ external transportation, this would be an example of third-party logistics. 

Logistics is an emerging business area in many countries and so there are a lot of companies that provide these services. In today's computer age, automation is everywhere. Just like industrial automation, logistics is also highly automated to improve the throughput and efficiency of it's services. There are a lot of firms that provide software for logistics companies. But for an already high tensed process, the software has to be extremely smooth and problem free if you are to truly make your system efficient. The software should also be free of bugs and other problems that usually crop up in bad coding. 3PL Central provides great third party logistics software. Just like companies that specialize in logistics, this software is from a company that specializes in logistics software. So you can understand the kind of focus that they might have given it.


The 3PL Central software also allows you to view the whole inventory online so that you don't have to multiple spreadsheets at a time - and we all know how irritating spreadsheets can be.


And you should also note that among the large number of partners that 3PL has, they also partner with Motorola and Rackspace.


If you are really more interested in 3PL rather than the software company, you could check out some of these good 3PL resources at their website. They have got webinars, white papers, case studies and then some.

Chrome Case for HTC

This flashy chrome case for the HTC Sensation is as bling as it gets. Called the Case-Mate Barely There, this case for the unlocked HTC Sensation has the slimmest profile to get you as close to your smartphone as possible. In no way does this mean any sacrifice to protection - a layer of hard plastic and polish protect your device from the rigors of daily use. Precision engineering has made sure that the case hugs the form of the Sensation/ Sensation XE at each and every point such that there is very little change in the profile of the device.


Now if you, like me, are turned of by all things blingy then you just have to check their Black Barely There case for the HTC Sensation. This case makes you device look slimmer than it actually is because of the unique matt black finish while still providing adequate protection from nicks and scratches due to the hard-to-break plastic shell.


If your searching for a case for your girl friends Sensation XE, then the Pink Barely There case for HTC Sensation XE might be just the one you're looking for.

Reviewed: Nokia 700, Symbian Belle

With Nokia's latest Symbian smartphones selling like hot cakes I thought it was high time we reviewed the hottest selling smartphone of the year - the Nokia 700 and tips for it's associated OS, the Symbian Belle.

XBox 360 reaches for the skies

Microsoft is leaving no stone unturned for Xbox 360 as it is on the brink of phasing out with Xbox 720 anticipated to launch next year. They have announced a dashboard update for the Xbox 360 and as the tradition goes for these updates to bring along a new set of features, the update is set to be launched on December 6,2011. Read more about xbox 360 cloud.

How to Speed your way around Symbian Belle

It's somewhat ironic that, having had hierarchical folder for so many years and with iOS and Android just starting to copy the concept, Symbian has now abandoned folders. Well, not quite. The idea of a flat list was to help new users find apps they are looking for. And, to be honest, even as experienced Symbian die-hards, I bet we've all scratched our heads once in a while looking for 'Recorder' or 'Connection manager'.

The first thing to note is how easy it is to toggle between 'Arrange - A to Z' and 'Arrange - as it was'. Tap the 'More' icon (three stacked lines) and you'll see it on the menu. This alone makes it easy to find an application.

Homescreens

This is going to sound radical, but the very first thing you should do is remove almost all the widgets and shortcuts put on the homescreens by default. In fact, delete most of the homescreens provided. Far better to build up homescreens with bits that you find you need rather than fill the homescreens just 'because you can'. You'll see slightly faster device operation, slightly less data use and slightly better battery life if you keep homescreens and widgets down, especially if they're connected widgets that go online.

Multitasking

Not to be overlooked is the built-in Symbian multitasking - present since the beginnings of the OS, of course, but very visual since Symbian^3, with live 'previews' of what each running application is up to. When you need another app and you know it's running, it's often faster to press and hold the main 'home'/Menu key and simply pick from the carousel of running applications.

[Via]

A battery that charges 10x faster and last 10x longer

Scientists at the NorthWestern University in the USA have finally built and tested a prototype battery that has 10x greater battery life and charge 10x faster. If this battery passes FCC and hits the market, it could be an evolutionary change in battery technology.

How the scientists managed to do this is an interesting read as they did a "simple" thing of poking holes in the battery to improve it's life and performance. When they say holes, however, they mean that they drilled 20 nanometer holes in the Lithium-ion batteries. They also removed the sheets of material and insted changed it into clusters so that they can achieve greater lithium ion density.

Read more about this longer life battery here.

Nokia Will Launch Windows 8 Tablet in 2012

In a very brief statement by one of Nokia's executives in France, Nokia has confirmed it'll be shipping a Windows 8 tablet next year. The statement from Paul Amsellem was very specific and to the point, if a bit devoid of detail:

In June 2012, we will have a tablet that runs on Windows 8.

With the proliferation of quad-core tablets, we can probably assume that a system-on-chip solution like the Tegra 3 will be used, offering impressive multitasking prowess, good 3D performance and also potentially excellent battery life.

Both Lenovo and HTC have recently revealed they'll be producing tablets based on the Tegra 3 chipset, in addition to Asus who were the first to announce they would be using Tegra 3 in their heavily anticipated Transformer Prime.

Windows 8 is expected to launch in the middle of 2012, so June seems a fitting time as any. Nokia will likely have received quite early access to Windows 8 thanks to their new relationship with Microsoft, although now the Windows 8 Developer Preview build is out so their competors will also be able to do so.

If you'd like to give Windows 8 a try before it's released next year, you don't need to be a developer to do so. Just download it from the official Microsoft page, choosing an appropriate version for your PC, either 32 bit (x86) or 74 bit (x64). If you're not sure, just choose 32 bit to be safe.

You can install Windows on your computer using the Windows 7 USB install tool to install the file onto a USB drive. Once the tool is ready, just restart your PC and choose to boot from USB (an option typically available in the BIOS, search 'changing boot order' and the name of your PC if you're unsure.

Of course, you'll need a fresh hard drive to do this; don't overwrite your existing Windows install unless you know what you're doing! There are a lot of hurdles available beyond the scope of this blog post, so search for a Windows 8 USB install guide for more details.

That's all for now -- stay tuned for more Windows 8 and Nokia news!

This article was written by William Judd. William writes for Mobile Fun, the UK’s leading online retailer of the accessories for the Razr, including the Motorola Razr car holder, the Motorola Razr cover and the Motorola Razr charger.

Pakuma Akara K1 Backpack

Pakuma
Their logo is derived from the shamen symbol for man. Pakuma bags have quite a story behind them, you can read them here. This Pakuma Akara K1 bag was sent in for review by mobilefun.co.uk, you can find similar cool accessories at their macbook accesories page. Though you can get the Akara K1 in various colour combinations, our sample arrived sporting brown panels and green piping.

Unloaded the bag weighs 1.3kg, and it has an internal volume capacity of 23 litres, measures 34 x 16.5 x 51cm, and can hold most 15 to 17-inch laptops (the compartment's exact dimensions are 30 x 5.1 x 39cm). According to the Pakuma website it will take "all PC and Apple notebooks from 15.4" to 17", but we can't see it fitting a gaming monster along the lines of the Alienware M17xR3. At the bag's front you'll find a further two zippered compartments, marked out in brown to show their size and shape. The top one features an internal pocket to hold your MP3 player. It has some padding at the front but none at the back, so again you have to be careful what you put in the Akara K1's main compartment.