At the end of each year it has been my custom to take a look into the year ahead and highlight what I feel will be some major developments in the digital world. Any prediction, be it the weather for the next day or the success on Sunday at Paul Brown Stadium is, at best, a dangerous practice. Predictions about the digital world are no exception. So before looking ahead to next year, let’s see how I did with my crystal ball this year.
One of my major predictions had to do with the increase in “cloud computing” for both individuals and businesses. I said that more and more of our information, both public and personal, would be stored on and retrieved from large centrally located cloud servers. Our personal calendars, contact lists, correspondence, medical history, entertainment and embarrassing party videos will reside not on our personal computer’s hard drive, but on drives shared by our neighbors.
For sure that has happened. Apple’s iCloud service is absolutely integral to several applications running on the iPhone and iPad. The new Kindle Fire, as well as the original Kindle models, all have cloud support hosted by Amazon.com. The music we hear, the movies we watch and even the money we make are being stored in the cloud.
I predicted an increase in online access to movies and TV programs and a trending away from traditional cable and satellite services. Cable subscriptions are down especially among the younger more digitally aware generation. Even TV ownership numbers among the 20-something generation is flagging as they watch TV on their iPads and other tablets. This past year also saw missteps by NetFlix as they struggled with changing their company from a “snail mail” based DVD library to a delivery system using broadband Internet.
While the smart phone has not yet morphed into an electronic wallet as I had predicted, other non-traditional retailing applications have increased. For example, there is an increased use of electronic coupons. Price comparison apps for smart phones are commonplace.
So all in all my predictions were close. Next week I will go out on a limb and peer into 2012.
A reminder… In January I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org.
Saturday, December 24, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
LED Savings Long Term But Worth It!
How much do you really save?
The Holiday season is in full swing. The halls are decked with holly and this year it looks like many of us have adopted a new and more “greener” approach to decorating our homes. Driving around I have noticed more and more LED lights being used as decorations. They are easy to spot as they are much brighter and pierce the darkness more than their incandescent older siblings.
This trend is really good news. The efficiency of these lights is nothing short of extraordinary. One string of 50 LED lights uses about 7 watts of power. One standard incandescent lamp that we used on our trees … you know the ones that were also used as nightlights when we were kids … consumes between 4 and 7 watts EACH. So a string of 50 lights would consume between 200 and 250 watts verses the LED’s consumption of 7 watts.
For sure the environmental impact is very positive. The amount of electricity required to power our festive displays using LED lights is a small fraction of the incandescent alternative. For sure you are being “green” when you switch over to LEDS. But will you save some “green?”
If you are buying new lights you will quickly find that the LED lights are priced at about double of what you will pay for the standard incandescent strings. I found sets of 50 LED lights at a local store for about $7. So your initial cash outlay is higher. The LED lights do have a much longer life. Most are rated for about 25,000 hours of use. That works out to almost 3 years of continuous use. So your kids’ kids’ kids will be using these lights (if they can keep track of where they store them…that’s another issue).
In the long run, and I really mean long run, someone will save money but in most cases it won’t be you. Nevertheless, the positive impact of using less energy is enough of a reason to choose LED lights for this and other lighting needs. The prices continue to fall and there are more choices of lamps that have a softer glow than the original LED offerings.
One other thing…in January I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org.
The Holiday season is in full swing. The halls are decked with holly and this year it looks like many of us have adopted a new and more “greener” approach to decorating our homes. Driving around I have noticed more and more LED lights being used as decorations. They are easy to spot as they are much brighter and pierce the darkness more than their incandescent older siblings.
This trend is really good news. The efficiency of these lights is nothing short of extraordinary. One string of 50 LED lights uses about 7 watts of power. One standard incandescent lamp that we used on our trees … you know the ones that were also used as nightlights when we were kids … consumes between 4 and 7 watts EACH. So a string of 50 lights would consume between 200 and 250 watts verses the LED’s consumption of 7 watts.
For sure the environmental impact is very positive. The amount of electricity required to power our festive displays using LED lights is a small fraction of the incandescent alternative. For sure you are being “green” when you switch over to LEDS. But will you save some “green?”
If you are buying new lights you will quickly find that the LED lights are priced at about double of what you will pay for the standard incandescent strings. I found sets of 50 LED lights at a local store for about $7. So your initial cash outlay is higher. The LED lights do have a much longer life. Most are rated for about 25,000 hours of use. That works out to almost 3 years of continuous use. So your kids’ kids’ kids will be using these lights (if they can keep track of where they store them…that’s another issue).
In the long run, and I really mean long run, someone will save money but in most cases it won’t be you. Nevertheless, the positive impact of using less energy is enough of a reason to choose LED lights for this and other lighting needs. The prices continue to fall and there are more choices of lamps that have a softer glow than the original LED offerings.
One other thing…in January I will be offering “A Digital Survivor’s Guide” at the Harrison Library. This 2-part presentation covers new technologies, services and devices. Part 1: Monday, January 16 and Part 2: Monday, January 23. Both run from 6:30-8:30 p.m. Please register in advance for both sessions. Call (513) 369-4442 or email Harrison@CincinnatiLibrary.org.
Monday, December 12, 2011
Good Time To Get Family History
This is the season when many of us will give or receive video cameras or haul out of the closet and dust off cameras that we already have. Rather than just catching the scenes of your holiday, which for the most part will look much the same as the scenes of the year before, why not use that video camera to create something truly special, something that 25 years from now your kids and grandkids will appreciate more than any gift from Amazon.com or Macy’s.
During the holidays families gather for meals and celebrations. This is often the only time during the year that many families get together. What a great opportunity to ask our parents or grandparents or other relatives to share stories of their lives. This does not need to be a big production. All you need is a video camera, a somewhat quiet place and some time.
Find a room away from all the commotion of the celebrations and use that as your studio. It does not have to be soundproof and a bit of background conversation from other rooms is OK. Make sure the room is well lighted and comfortable. Don’t shine spotlights at the subject but make sure that they are not seated in front of a window or other bright colored wall. The light should come from the front.
I suggest that you mount your camera on a tripod or some solid surface. Focus it on the face of the person being interviewed and leave it there. There is no need for zooming or panning. A fixed shot is best. Since most video cameras have built in microphones, be sure the camera is no more than 6 ft from the subject especially if the person being interviewed has a quiet voice.
Have the person sit in a comfortable chair, turn on the camera, and just begin. The person asking the questions should be seated next to the camera. The interview should be a conversation between these two people; the camera should be ignored and will soon be forgotten. It may take a few minutes for everyone to relax and forget the session is being recorded.
You may begin with some simple questions about their holiday memories or what it was like when they were growing up. From there just let the conversation go. Don’t worry about pauses or hesitations. The interviewer should ask questions and clarifications but the key is to let the person being interviewed do the talking. These interviews can be targeted to a single topic like the time spent in the military or details of career or vocation, or they can be more open. One topic will soon transition into others. Have patience and just let it happen.
I suggest that you do not stop the interview before you are finished and play back a portion for the interviewee. Many will be self conscience and this will have a negative impact on the rest of the interview.
Once you are finished, you can edit out the long pauses using inexpensive video editing software. Then burn the interview on to a DVD and distribute to your family members. No gift will be more valued.
During the holidays families gather for meals and celebrations. This is often the only time during the year that many families get together. What a great opportunity to ask our parents or grandparents or other relatives to share stories of their lives. This does not need to be a big production. All you need is a video camera, a somewhat quiet place and some time.
Find a room away from all the commotion of the celebrations and use that as your studio. It does not have to be soundproof and a bit of background conversation from other rooms is OK. Make sure the room is well lighted and comfortable. Don’t shine spotlights at the subject but make sure that they are not seated in front of a window or other bright colored wall. The light should come from the front.
I suggest that you mount your camera on a tripod or some solid surface. Focus it on the face of the person being interviewed and leave it there. There is no need for zooming or panning. A fixed shot is best. Since most video cameras have built in microphones, be sure the camera is no more than 6 ft from the subject especially if the person being interviewed has a quiet voice.
Have the person sit in a comfortable chair, turn on the camera, and just begin. The person asking the questions should be seated next to the camera. The interview should be a conversation between these two people; the camera should be ignored and will soon be forgotten. It may take a few minutes for everyone to relax and forget the session is being recorded.
You may begin with some simple questions about their holiday memories or what it was like when they were growing up. From there just let the conversation go. Don’t worry about pauses or hesitations. The interviewer should ask questions and clarifications but the key is to let the person being interviewed do the talking. These interviews can be targeted to a single topic like the time spent in the military or details of career or vocation, or they can be more open. One topic will soon transition into others. Have patience and just let it happen.
I suggest that you do not stop the interview before you are finished and play back a portion for the interviewee. Many will be self conscience and this will have a negative impact on the rest of the interview.
Once you are finished, you can edit out the long pauses using inexpensive video editing software. Then burn the interview on to a DVD and distribute to your family members. No gift will be more valued.
Monday, December 5, 2011
More Holiday Gift Ideas
This is the second installment of my annual gift giving suggestions column. I hope that the suggestions are helpful as you search for that perfect gift.
For years I have been suggesting that an electronic picture frame would be the perfect gift for family members, especially grandparents, who want to keep up with your growing family. In the past I suggested preloading the frame with photos and periodically sending new ones, either via email or snail mail. While this works, it does require that the recipient have some degree of technical ability to load them into the frame.
A company, CEIVA, has a solution. They offer a frame and automatic updating service that allows you to send photos directly to the frame from a computer or camera phone. You can also share photos via Facebook or use any of the many online digital photo sharing sites like Flickr, Picasa or Snapfish.
The frame is connected directly to the Internet so the recipient must have a broadband Internet connection. There is a model that uses a dial-up connection but that requires the person receiving the photos to manually make a call. Don’t recommend it. The Internet connected device is automatic. The pictures just appear as you send them.
The CEIVA frames come in various models but plan to spend about $130. You can send up to 40 photos per day with the basic service. More information is at www.ceiva.com.
More and more TV programs and movies are available via the Internet from services like HuluPlus, Netflix and HBOGO. You can, of course, choose to watch these programs on your computer but most of us prefer to sit in a comfortable chair and watch on our wide screen TVs. For about $60 you can get a Roku streaming player that connects to most any TV and provides High Definition streaming to your TV from the Internet.
The Roku is simple to set up. You must have a broadband Internet connection and subscribe to one of more of the online video services. For many, these services have replaced traditional cable or satellite TV and the price is most often very competitive. More information is available at www.roku.com
I hope these suggestions have helped to take the hassle out of shopping.
For years I have been suggesting that an electronic picture frame would be the perfect gift for family members, especially grandparents, who want to keep up with your growing family. In the past I suggested preloading the frame with photos and periodically sending new ones, either via email or snail mail. While this works, it does require that the recipient have some degree of technical ability to load them into the frame.
A company, CEIVA, has a solution. They offer a frame and automatic updating service that allows you to send photos directly to the frame from a computer or camera phone. You can also share photos via Facebook or use any of the many online digital photo sharing sites like Flickr, Picasa or Snapfish.
The frame is connected directly to the Internet so the recipient must have a broadband Internet connection. There is a model that uses a dial-up connection but that requires the person receiving the photos to manually make a call. Don’t recommend it. The Internet connected device is automatic. The pictures just appear as you send them.
The CEIVA frames come in various models but plan to spend about $130. You can send up to 40 photos per day with the basic service. More information is at www.ceiva.com.
More and more TV programs and movies are available via the Internet from services like HuluPlus, Netflix and HBOGO. You can, of course, choose to watch these programs on your computer but most of us prefer to sit in a comfortable chair and watch on our wide screen TVs. For about $60 you can get a Roku streaming player that connects to most any TV and provides High Definition streaming to your TV from the Internet.
The Roku is simple to set up. You must have a broadband Internet connection and subscribe to one of more of the online video services. For many, these services have replaced traditional cable or satellite TV and the price is most often very competitive. More information is available at www.roku.com
I hope these suggestions have helped to take the hassle out of shopping.
Sunday, November 27, 2011
Some Gift Ideas of the Digital Kind
It is time again for me to give my annual suggestions for gift giving of the digital kind ranging in price from only a few bucks to a couple hundred. This week and next we will look at a few.
If your gift giving list includes someone who likes to read books, an eReader may be just the ticket. There are a number of them on the market right now and there seems to be a new offering every week. My recommendation is still the Kindle which has several models. I suggest either the Kindle Touch or Kindle Keyboard. While Amazon.com, the maker of the Kindle, now has the Kindle Fire, if the person getting the gift is really just interested in reading books, the Touch or Keyboard versions are the best as they both use eInk technology that is easy on the eyes and allows battery life to extend to weeks.
The least expensive Kindle costs about $79.00 but you have to put up with annoying advertising pitches and Amazon “special offers” on the screen. Spend the extra 20 bucks and select the version without screen saver advertisements.
The Kindle Fire has been getting a lot of attention for the very attractive price of $199 and many describe it as a less expensive iPad; I don’t agree. The Fire has great graphics and a color screen, but it is not an iPad. In my opinion, the Fire is a device primarily designed to allow the easy purchase and display of the many media products sold by Amazon.com. If that is what you are looking for, go no further. If you really want the best tablet on the market, the iPad is still the gold standard.
How about some stocking stuffers for that teen on your list. You can’t go wrong with an iTunes gift card. They come in denominations from $15 up to $100. You can get them on line at the iTunes Store. For that avid reader who uses the Kindle, Amazon.com has gift cards in most any denomination. They can be used to purchase books as well as any other product sold by Amazon.
For that digital photography buff, how about giving an extra SD Card? They can be purchased beginning at about 10 bucks. You can never have enough SD Cards especially when you are on vacation as they fill up fast.
Next week I’ll have more suggestions.
If your gift giving list includes someone who likes to read books, an eReader may be just the ticket. There are a number of them on the market right now and there seems to be a new offering every week. My recommendation is still the Kindle which has several models. I suggest either the Kindle Touch or Kindle Keyboard. While Amazon.com, the maker of the Kindle, now has the Kindle Fire, if the person getting the gift is really just interested in reading books, the Touch or Keyboard versions are the best as they both use eInk technology that is easy on the eyes and allows battery life to extend to weeks.
The least expensive Kindle costs about $79.00 but you have to put up with annoying advertising pitches and Amazon “special offers” on the screen. Spend the extra 20 bucks and select the version without screen saver advertisements.
The Kindle Fire has been getting a lot of attention for the very attractive price of $199 and many describe it as a less expensive iPad; I don’t agree. The Fire has great graphics and a color screen, but it is not an iPad. In my opinion, the Fire is a device primarily designed to allow the easy purchase and display of the many media products sold by Amazon.com. If that is what you are looking for, go no further. If you really want the best tablet on the market, the iPad is still the gold standard.
How about some stocking stuffers for that teen on your list. You can’t go wrong with an iTunes gift card. They come in denominations from $15 up to $100. You can get them on line at the iTunes Store. For that avid reader who uses the Kindle, Amazon.com has gift cards in most any denomination. They can be used to purchase books as well as any other product sold by Amazon.
For that digital photography buff, how about giving an extra SD Card? They can be purchased beginning at about 10 bucks. You can never have enough SD Cards especially when you are on vacation as they fill up fast.
Next week I’ll have more suggestions.
Monday, November 21, 2011
Dealing with Hikacked Email Accounts
A colleague at work recently related an all too frequent tale of having an email account hijacked. One morning she began to get emails and telephone calls from friends concerned about her and asking if she was OK. It seems that several of her friends received the same email message. The email sent on her email account indicated that she was stranded in London and her purse, baggage and passport had been stolen leaving her without money to get back to the US. The email gave information for transferring money to her as soon as possible with a promise of prompt repayment when she returned to Cincinnati.
This scenario is not a new one but the details of the false dilemma do change. Sometimes the victim is a teenager asking for money from kindly grandparents asking that they don’t inform parents about the kid’s predicament. The one constant is that this is a scam. It is one of several scams that are a result of having an email account hijacked.
There are other less obvious symptoms of hijacked email accounts. If you begin to see several notifications in your email “in box” of undeliverable messages and these messages were never sent by you, your account may have been hacked.
So what do you do? There is really no one answer. For sure, the first thing you should do is change the password of the email account that has been compromised. In many cases this will keep any future emails from being posted from your account. If you are unable to make this change, you should not give up and just quit using that account. While this might be the easiest thing to do, it does not stop the hijacker from using your identity. You may need to contact your email provider to assist you in modifying this account.
If you are able to get into your account to change your password, you should look into the account settings to make sure that the hacker has not set up some forwarding or notification prompts that will keep them connected to the account.
Once you are sure that you have regained control over your email account or have established a new account, you obviously should use a new password. I have discussed password security often but it is worth repeating that a password should be chosen carefully. Using your middle name, your first born’s middle name or birth date, your home address or other name or set of numbers relating to some aspect of your life makes your account easy pickings.
It is always a good idea to maintain two email accounts. Since many, like Google, Hot Mail and Yahoo offer free accounts, having two is not an issue. That way if your main account is compromised you can contact your friends and colleagues using the other account informing them of the fact that the first account has been compromised and any strange emails allegedly from you should be ignored.
I can help you with this problem in person. Just send me your credit card info, your social security number and you new passwords. I will get back to you as soon as possible.
This scenario is not a new one but the details of the false dilemma do change. Sometimes the victim is a teenager asking for money from kindly grandparents asking that they don’t inform parents about the kid’s predicament. The one constant is that this is a scam. It is one of several scams that are a result of having an email account hijacked.
There are other less obvious symptoms of hijacked email accounts. If you begin to see several notifications in your email “in box” of undeliverable messages and these messages were never sent by you, your account may have been hacked.
So what do you do? There is really no one answer. For sure, the first thing you should do is change the password of the email account that has been compromised. In many cases this will keep any future emails from being posted from your account. If you are unable to make this change, you should not give up and just quit using that account. While this might be the easiest thing to do, it does not stop the hijacker from using your identity. You may need to contact your email provider to assist you in modifying this account.
If you are able to get into your account to change your password, you should look into the account settings to make sure that the hacker has not set up some forwarding or notification prompts that will keep them connected to the account.
Once you are sure that you have regained control over your email account or have established a new account, you obviously should use a new password. I have discussed password security often but it is worth repeating that a password should be chosen carefully. Using your middle name, your first born’s middle name or birth date, your home address or other name or set of numbers relating to some aspect of your life makes your account easy pickings.
It is always a good idea to maintain two email accounts. Since many, like Google, Hot Mail and Yahoo offer free accounts, having two is not an issue. That way if your main account is compromised you can contact your friends and colleagues using the other account informing them of the fact that the first account has been compromised and any strange emails allegedly from you should be ignored.
I can help you with this problem in person. Just send me your credit card info, your social security number and you new passwords. I will get back to you as soon as possible.
Sunday, November 13, 2011
WiFI on the Road
Wifi in Your Car, Not!
When it began it was only available to major universities, laboratories and the military. Then it migrated into the offices of the nation’s largest corporations. It wasn’t long before you could find it in k-12 schools and then in our homes. Going mobile, it found its way into our pocket or purse. It was only a matter of time before it found its way into our cars.
At a time when billboards and radio spots encourage people not to text while driving, adding more stuff to that LCD display found front and center in many new cars seems, at best, ill-advised. Nevertheless, automakers from Audi to Volkswagen are beginning to offer Internet based services in their new models.
With several mobile phone companies offering 4G services, enjoying a robust Internet connection while traveling at 65 mph down I-74 is now possible. Is it a good idea? Apparently several automakers think so.
A perusal of the cars section of the daily newspaper will show several companies touting their in-car wifi. Now, most are very careful to emphasize in the ads that this Internet access is for your passengers. In some TV spots the camera pans to a passenger in the rear seat working on a lap top. Another ad offers Internet radio services like Pandora.com to provide some music accompaniment to your daily commute.
One of my favorite TV commercials shows an LCD display on the dash of a new car replete with icons and symbols. The narrator describes how riding shotgun has never been so much fun. I have to wonder how you access all these features on the LCD screen if you are the only person in the car.
Most of us have embraced the navigation services and it seems that more people than ever are on the phone while driving. It is not uncommon to see a fellow commuter drinking coffee, putting on make up or eating an Egg Mc Muffin while driving. You may have seen someone doing all three.
So, when driving to work, don’t be surprised if you see that the “passenger” riding shotgun is really a lap top and the driver is answering email between sips of coffee.
When it began it was only available to major universities, laboratories and the military. Then it migrated into the offices of the nation’s largest corporations. It wasn’t long before you could find it in k-12 schools and then in our homes. Going mobile, it found its way into our pocket or purse. It was only a matter of time before it found its way into our cars.
At a time when billboards and radio spots encourage people not to text while driving, adding more stuff to that LCD display found front and center in many new cars seems, at best, ill-advised. Nevertheless, automakers from Audi to Volkswagen are beginning to offer Internet based services in their new models.
With several mobile phone companies offering 4G services, enjoying a robust Internet connection while traveling at 65 mph down I-74 is now possible. Is it a good idea? Apparently several automakers think so.
A perusal of the cars section of the daily newspaper will show several companies touting their in-car wifi. Now, most are very careful to emphasize in the ads that this Internet access is for your passengers. In some TV spots the camera pans to a passenger in the rear seat working on a lap top. Another ad offers Internet radio services like Pandora.com to provide some music accompaniment to your daily commute.
One of my favorite TV commercials shows an LCD display on the dash of a new car replete with icons and symbols. The narrator describes how riding shotgun has never been so much fun. I have to wonder how you access all these features on the LCD screen if you are the only person in the car.
Most of us have embraced the navigation services and it seems that more people than ever are on the phone while driving. It is not uncommon to see a fellow commuter drinking coffee, putting on make up or eating an Egg Mc Muffin while driving. You may have seen someone doing all three.
So, when driving to work, don’t be surprised if you see that the “passenger” riding shotgun is really a lap top and the driver is answering email between sips of coffee.
Sunday, November 6, 2011
Siri, Your New Best friend
I can still remember how mesmerized I was in 1968 watching the haunting exchanges between Dr. David Bowman and the Hal 9000 Computer. This interaction between a machine and a human being was perhaps the first time the promise of operating a machine with voice commands was demonstrated to the general movie going public. Of course, if you remember the movie, all did not go as planned on that voyage through the galaxy.
The recent launch of the Apple iPhone 4s brought back memories of 2001: A Space Odyssey. While the 4s has some modest improvements to its innards over the iPhone 4, the big news is Siri. Siri has been around for a while but this new iteration is the first to allow users to give directions or ask questions to the phone using plain language. So “Open the pod bay doors Hal” or “I’m afraid I can’t do that Dave” are no longer the stuff of science fiction.
I am sure we will look back in a few years and see the current iteration of Siri as somewhat primitive. Siri works best when you ask it to do simple tasks like entering an appointment in you calendar or do a Google search for a specific piece of information. Of course, it can place voice calls and send and retrieve text messages all hands free.
Like most Apple products the interface is simple. You press a button and ask Siri a question. For example, ask Siri what the weather will be and you will get a report of the current weather in your location. What you don’t see or hear is that when you ask that question, in the background with light speed, Siri analyzes your words, checks the internal GPS to ascertain where the phone is now located and then uses that information to search for a weather service on the web that has the local information. Once obtained, Siri will read to you the information. Again all this is done in a few seconds.
Siri is not perfect. A recent exchange between Stephen Colbert and Siri on the Colbert Report demonstrated that. Unlike the Hal 9000 that seemingly could do everything to operate Dr. Bowman’s spacecraft, Siri was not of much help to Steven when he asked for help writing a script for the show. Nevertheless Siri is a big step towards the promise of voice recognition technology and artificial intelligence based personal services.
Now I have to admit that I do not yet have an iPhone 4s, but I do plan to get one when my current smart phone, which seems to be getting less smart all the time, is due for replacement. Perhaps Siri can write the column for me?
The recent launch of the Apple iPhone 4s brought back memories of 2001: A Space Odyssey. While the 4s has some modest improvements to its innards over the iPhone 4, the big news is Siri. Siri has been around for a while but this new iteration is the first to allow users to give directions or ask questions to the phone using plain language. So “Open the pod bay doors Hal” or “I’m afraid I can’t do that Dave” are no longer the stuff of science fiction.
I am sure we will look back in a few years and see the current iteration of Siri as somewhat primitive. Siri works best when you ask it to do simple tasks like entering an appointment in you calendar or do a Google search for a specific piece of information. Of course, it can place voice calls and send and retrieve text messages all hands free.
Like most Apple products the interface is simple. You press a button and ask Siri a question. For example, ask Siri what the weather will be and you will get a report of the current weather in your location. What you don’t see or hear is that when you ask that question, in the background with light speed, Siri analyzes your words, checks the internal GPS to ascertain where the phone is now located and then uses that information to search for a weather service on the web that has the local information. Once obtained, Siri will read to you the information. Again all this is done in a few seconds.
Siri is not perfect. A recent exchange between Stephen Colbert and Siri on the Colbert Report demonstrated that. Unlike the Hal 9000 that seemingly could do everything to operate Dr. Bowman’s spacecraft, Siri was not of much help to Steven when he asked for help writing a script for the show. Nevertheless Siri is a big step towards the promise of voice recognition technology and artificial intelligence based personal services.
Now I have to admit that I do not yet have an iPhone 4s, but I do plan to get one when my current smart phone, which seems to be getting less smart all the time, is due for replacement. Perhaps Siri can write the column for me?
Sunday, October 30, 2011
TV without a TV
The other day I was asked if there was an easy way to watch TV programs and movies now available on the Internet on a large screen TV. With Netflix, Amazon.com, iTunes and Hulu all providing more and more programs once only available on broadcast TV, cable or satellite, viewers now want to watch in a more comfortable environment than is possible sitting in front of the desktop or laptop computer. Even those who have graduated to the iPad or other tablet devices often want to watch some programs on a large screen.
There are several options available. Some of them simple and inexpensive and others a bit more pricey. If you already are using a laptop computer and you have a relatively new HDTV, very likely you can connect the two. Many newer laptops have HDMI outputs and many digital TVs have more than one HDMI input. So if you have your TV connected to a cable box using one of the HDMI inputs, you can use one of the remaining HDMI inputs to connect to your computer. Once connected using an HDMI cable, the TV serves as a large monitor for the laptop by displaying on the TV any content viewable on the laptop.
If you do not have a HDMI output on the computer you most likely have a VGA port. That port can be easy to identify since it uses a plug with 15 very small pins. Look on the side or the back; I am sure you will find it. It is also called an external monitor or projector port. Again, many new TVs have a VGA input. All you need to connect your laptop to your TV is an inexpensive VGA cable.
In both of the first two options, you still need to run a separate audio cable to your TV in order to get the audio to play from the TV. This can be a hassle.
If you are in the market for a new TV you might want to consider one that already is Internet ready. This means that you can connect the TV, via either a network cable or
your home wifi network, to the Internet. These TVs have a special remote control that allows you to select between off air, cable or internet sources. All are displayed on the large screen. Deciding to watch a video from the Internet is just as easy as changing the channel on your cable box.
Since many network programs are now available on the Internet, more and more people are reconsidering the monthly cost of cable or satellite. Broadcast TV has increased the number of free over-the-air channels in the Cincinnati market from seven in the analog world to more than twenty in the digital world. There is a fee for some Internet based services like Netflix, but considering that these programs can be watched virtually on demand with a monthly cost well below what most of us pay for cable, it is not surprising that some viewers are seriously re-evaluating the price of cable or satellite services.
There are several options available. Some of them simple and inexpensive and others a bit more pricey. If you already are using a laptop computer and you have a relatively new HDTV, very likely you can connect the two. Many newer laptops have HDMI outputs and many digital TVs have more than one HDMI input. So if you have your TV connected to a cable box using one of the HDMI inputs, you can use one of the remaining HDMI inputs to connect to your computer. Once connected using an HDMI cable, the TV serves as a large monitor for the laptop by displaying on the TV any content viewable on the laptop.
If you do not have a HDMI output on the computer you most likely have a VGA port. That port can be easy to identify since it uses a plug with 15 very small pins. Look on the side or the back; I am sure you will find it. It is also called an external monitor or projector port. Again, many new TVs have a VGA input. All you need to connect your laptop to your TV is an inexpensive VGA cable.
In both of the first two options, you still need to run a separate audio cable to your TV in order to get the audio to play from the TV. This can be a hassle.
If you are in the market for a new TV you might want to consider one that already is Internet ready. This means that you can connect the TV, via either a network cable or
your home wifi network, to the Internet. These TVs have a special remote control that allows you to select between off air, cable or internet sources. All are displayed on the large screen. Deciding to watch a video from the Internet is just as easy as changing the channel on your cable box.
Since many network programs are now available on the Internet, more and more people are reconsidering the monthly cost of cable or satellite. Broadcast TV has increased the number of free over-the-air channels in the Cincinnati market from seven in the analog world to more than twenty in the digital world. There is a fee for some Internet based services like Netflix, but considering that these programs can be watched virtually on demand with a monthly cost well below what most of us pay for cable, it is not surprising that some viewers are seriously re-evaluating the price of cable or satellite services.
Sunday, October 23, 2011
Look Mom, No Wires
I was asked recently for some tips on how to easily export photographs and videos from a digital camera to a computer for editing and storage. All digital cameras have one or more options for this. The easiest and most often used method uses a cable between the devices to transfer the digital images. The cable connects to the USB port that is found on most every brand and model of computer. Using that cable and the software that is bundled with the camera is a straight forward process.
For cameras that use a removable storage device like a SD Card or Memory Stick, the removal of the card from the camera and plugging it into the computer is another easy method of getting your pictures into the computer. Of course, this method requires compatible slots on the computer that can accept the SD Card or Memory Stick. If your computer does not have these slots you can purchase an adapter for about 5 bucks that plugs into the USB port and has slots for most all memory cards and sticks.
There is another method that is now available that requires no slots and no cables. Marketed by Fuji it is called “Eye-Fi” and can be used in any camera that takes a SD Card. This standard size SD Card not only serves as a storage device in your camera but also contains a miniature wifi transmitter that can wirelessly send your photos to any wifi equipped device. So instead of fumbling with wires or removing the SD Card from the camera, you just instruct the SD Card to send all the photos now stored on the card to your computer.
There are various version of this card with prices starting at about $50. The card can transfer to computers, iPhones, Androids and several other devices. It can be set up to recognize more than 30 different wifi networks that you may use from time to time.
There is some set up required when you first get the card. For instance you need to tell it where to send the pictures. You can choose to send them to a special directory on your computer or instruct it to send the photos directly to one of the photo sharing web sites like Flickr or SnapFish.
There is a version that has a geo-tagging function. With geo-tagging, your photos are labeled, or “tagged”, to show where they were taken. When you save the photos you also save information about them. You can view where the photos were taken on a map. You can search photos by location. So years after coming back from that vacation in Alaska, you can have information about the trip that may have vanished from your memory since it is stored in you computer’s memory.
Now if I can only get it to remember where I put those keys…..
For cameras that use a removable storage device like a SD Card or Memory Stick, the removal of the card from the camera and plugging it into the computer is another easy method of getting your pictures into the computer. Of course, this method requires compatible slots on the computer that can accept the SD Card or Memory Stick. If your computer does not have these slots you can purchase an adapter for about 5 bucks that plugs into the USB port and has slots for most all memory cards and sticks.
There is another method that is now available that requires no slots and no cables. Marketed by Fuji it is called “Eye-Fi” and can be used in any camera that takes a SD Card. This standard size SD Card not only serves as a storage device in your camera but also contains a miniature wifi transmitter that can wirelessly send your photos to any wifi equipped device. So instead of fumbling with wires or removing the SD Card from the camera, you just instruct the SD Card to send all the photos now stored on the card to your computer.
There are various version of this card with prices starting at about $50. The card can transfer to computers, iPhones, Androids and several other devices. It can be set up to recognize more than 30 different wifi networks that you may use from time to time.
There is some set up required when you first get the card. For instance you need to tell it where to send the pictures. You can choose to send them to a special directory on your computer or instruct it to send the photos directly to one of the photo sharing web sites like Flickr or SnapFish.
There is a version that has a geo-tagging function. With geo-tagging, your photos are labeled, or “tagged”, to show where they were taken. When you save the photos you also save information about them. You can view where the photos were taken on a map. You can search photos by location. So years after coming back from that vacation in Alaska, you can have information about the trip that may have vanished from your memory since it is stored in you computer’s memory.
Now if I can only get it to remember where I put those keys…..
Sunday, October 16, 2011
Some Neat eReader Features
I was asked recently to give a presentation at the Batesville Public Library. The two evening sessions are titled “A Digital Survivors’ Guide.” They are aimed at people who are curious about many of the new technologies and devices but are confused by all the jargon and hype. I had a very lively and smart group of people at the sessions. To begin I asked each one of the participants to tell me what they wanted to come away with at the end of the sessions. Several told me that they already owed a Kindle eReader and used it for reading books but were not knowledgeable about some of the other features.
The Kindle, as I have often reported in my columns, is I my opinion a fantastic device for those who like to read. It is very easy to use, inexpensive and easy on the eyes. Over an above the fact that it is a great way to read books, the Kindle has some other features that, as evidenced by the comments at the Batesville sessions, might be hidden from many users.
One of my favorite features is the built in dictionary. As you are reading, if you come to a word you may not know you can highlight the word with the cursor and up pops the definition and usage information from the New Oxford American Dictionary. You can read a brief definition and continue reading or press another key and have the entire dictionary citation. If you read books that contain a lot of jargon or archaic words, this feature is awesome.
Another often overlooked feature is the “Text-to-Speech” function. This allows the Kindle to read aloud the text of the book using a computerized voice. For sure the “voice” does not have the dulcet tones of a professional narrator, but for someone with sight impairment or just learning to read it could be a great help.
Perhaps my favorite feature is the “Notes and Highlight function.” As you are reading, if you want to capture a sentence or paragraph for future reference you can highlight the text and save it to a file that is appended to your copy of the book. The quotes are saved along with the page number where it appears. You can also type in your own notes or observations and save them. All remain with your copy of the book.
If you have material you have written that you would like to have readable on your Kindle, you can email it to your Kindle account and Amazon.com will translate your file to a readable file on the Kindle. The document is sent back you your Kindle the next time your synch it with your Amazon account. This service is free.
The folks who attended my presentation in Batesville found these tips helpful. I hope you will too.
The Kindle, as I have often reported in my columns, is I my opinion a fantastic device for those who like to read. It is very easy to use, inexpensive and easy on the eyes. Over an above the fact that it is a great way to read books, the Kindle has some other features that, as evidenced by the comments at the Batesville sessions, might be hidden from many users.
One of my favorite features is the built in dictionary. As you are reading, if you come to a word you may not know you can highlight the word with the cursor and up pops the definition and usage information from the New Oxford American Dictionary. You can read a brief definition and continue reading or press another key and have the entire dictionary citation. If you read books that contain a lot of jargon or archaic words, this feature is awesome.
Another often overlooked feature is the “Text-to-Speech” function. This allows the Kindle to read aloud the text of the book using a computerized voice. For sure the “voice” does not have the dulcet tones of a professional narrator, but for someone with sight impairment or just learning to read it could be a great help.
Perhaps my favorite feature is the “Notes and Highlight function.” As you are reading, if you want to capture a sentence or paragraph for future reference you can highlight the text and save it to a file that is appended to your copy of the book. The quotes are saved along with the page number where it appears. You can also type in your own notes or observations and save them. All remain with your copy of the book.
If you have material you have written that you would like to have readable on your Kindle, you can email it to your Kindle account and Amazon.com will translate your file to a readable file on the Kindle. The document is sent back you your Kindle the next time your synch it with your Amazon account. This service is free.
The folks who attended my presentation in Batesville found these tips helpful. I hope you will too.
Monday, October 10, 2011
Kindle Fire, A Game Changer?
Most first year marketing students can relate the story attributed to a Black & Decker executive. He is said to have once lectured to his marketing staff that “We don’t sell electric drills, we sell holes.” Whether this exchange ever happened is irrelevant. What is important is the concept of understanding what you are selling and what the customer really wants.
The recent announcement by Amazon.com indicates that the company has taken the “drill / hole” analogy to heart. Amazon.com announced a new version of the very popular Kindle called the Kindle Fire. I have discussed the Kindle in this column several times since it was released more than two years ago. Up until this iteration of the device, the Kindle was essentially an eReader, arguably the best eReader on the market. It was not designed to do much else and the millions of users appreciated the simplicity and functionality.
The Kindle Fire, which will be available in November just in time for the holiday shopping season, is much more than a color version of the original. The Fire is a multimedia viewer/player. Not only can you read books, magazines and newspapers, you can also watch movies and your favorite TV programs.
Here is where the “drill” analogy comes in. The CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos used a Steve Jobs-like multimedia extravaganza to announce the Kindle Fire, but unlike Jobs when he announced the iPad, Bezos concentrated most of his remarks on the content that was available for the Kindle Fire not on the speed of the microprocessor or other techno facts.
Bezos and Amazon.com are counting on the fact that the customer is not in the market for a new digital device, they want to watch movies or TV shows and do it effortlessly and, more important, inexpensively. A look at the marketing materials on the Amzon.com website demonstrates this emphasis. Almost 95% of the page deals with content. Only at the very bottom of the page will you find information about the innards of the device. The official iPad web page is virtually void of any mention of what you can do with the iPad instead concentrating on the device specifications, i.e., color, wifi or 4G, 16 gig or 64 gig, etc.
Since the Kindle Fire will not be shipped until November it is too early to see if it will pose significant competition to Apple’s iPAd. The price of $199 vs. the iPad starting at about $500 will certainly make some take a close look at the Fire. The real competitive advantage that Amazon.com may have is the vast library of books, movies and TV shows they have available and the seamless and hassle free method of ordering and retrieving these materials with the Kindle Fire.
The recent announcement by Amazon.com indicates that the company has taken the “drill / hole” analogy to heart. Amazon.com announced a new version of the very popular Kindle called the Kindle Fire. I have discussed the Kindle in this column several times since it was released more than two years ago. Up until this iteration of the device, the Kindle was essentially an eReader, arguably the best eReader on the market. It was not designed to do much else and the millions of users appreciated the simplicity and functionality.
The Kindle Fire, which will be available in November just in time for the holiday shopping season, is much more than a color version of the original. The Fire is a multimedia viewer/player. Not only can you read books, magazines and newspapers, you can also watch movies and your favorite TV programs.
Here is where the “drill” analogy comes in. The CEO of Amazon, Jeff Bezos used a Steve Jobs-like multimedia extravaganza to announce the Kindle Fire, but unlike Jobs when he announced the iPad, Bezos concentrated most of his remarks on the content that was available for the Kindle Fire not on the speed of the microprocessor or other techno facts.
Bezos and Amazon.com are counting on the fact that the customer is not in the market for a new digital device, they want to watch movies or TV shows and do it effortlessly and, more important, inexpensively. A look at the marketing materials on the Amzon.com website demonstrates this emphasis. Almost 95% of the page deals with content. Only at the very bottom of the page will you find information about the innards of the device. The official iPad web page is virtually void of any mention of what you can do with the iPad instead concentrating on the device specifications, i.e., color, wifi or 4G, 16 gig or 64 gig, etc.
Since the Kindle Fire will not be shipped until November it is too early to see if it will pose significant competition to Apple’s iPAd. The price of $199 vs. the iPad starting at about $500 will certainly make some take a close look at the Fire. The real competitive advantage that Amazon.com may have is the vast library of books, movies and TV shows they have available and the seamless and hassle free method of ordering and retrieving these materials with the Kindle Fire.
Sunday, October 2, 2011
3D Still Slow To Take Off
About a year ago looking through the advertising circulars inserted in the Sunday newspaper you might have come to the conclusion that you were the only person in the entire universe that did not own a 3D Digital TV. Touted as the next “must have” for your home theater, all the major brands were promoting the movie-like experience possible with 3D TV. Jumping ahead about a year, the landscape has changed a lot.
A cursory look at the most recent Sunday paper indicates that last year’s hot item is, at best, lukewarm this year. There are several possible reasons for this cool consumer acceptance, not the least of which is price. The average price of a standard 2D HDTV set
continues to drop. Today the average is about $500 and dropping fast as several models are available below $150. The prices of 3D sets also are dropping but, because most have very large screens, they are still much more expensive than standard 2D HDTVs.
More than the high price, the need to wear specials 3D glasses to experience the 3D effect is a big negative for many. The glasses are expensive, so inviting several good friends over to watch the “Lion King” may require a king’s pocketbook.
When 3D TV first launched in the US, several program providers promised to provide content on cable and satellite in 3D. This promise has yet to be realized. The transmission of 3D requires a different and more complicated set of transmission technologies. Companies don’t want to invest these extra funds if there is not a large base of viewers and viewers don’t want to invest in pricey 3D HDTVs if there is not a rich program catalog. Most 3D viewers use Blue-ray DVDs as their main source of content.
Things might change in the future, but investing the extra bucks in a 3D set may not be a good idea for most of us. Of course you can always visit the guy down the street who has just about every device connected by a wire or powered by a battery. Drop in and don’t forget to bring the chips and beer and let him provide the glasses.
A cursory look at the most recent Sunday paper indicates that last year’s hot item is, at best, lukewarm this year. There are several possible reasons for this cool consumer acceptance, not the least of which is price. The average price of a standard 2D HDTV set
continues to drop. Today the average is about $500 and dropping fast as several models are available below $150. The prices of 3D sets also are dropping but, because most have very large screens, they are still much more expensive than standard 2D HDTVs.
More than the high price, the need to wear specials 3D glasses to experience the 3D effect is a big negative for many. The glasses are expensive, so inviting several good friends over to watch the “Lion King” may require a king’s pocketbook.
When 3D TV first launched in the US, several program providers promised to provide content on cable and satellite in 3D. This promise has yet to be realized. The transmission of 3D requires a different and more complicated set of transmission technologies. Companies don’t want to invest these extra funds if there is not a large base of viewers and viewers don’t want to invest in pricey 3D HDTVs if there is not a rich program catalog. Most 3D viewers use Blue-ray DVDs as their main source of content.
Things might change in the future, but investing the extra bucks in a 3D set may not be a good idea for most of us. Of course you can always visit the guy down the street who has just about every device connected by a wire or powered by a battery. Drop in and don’t forget to bring the chips and beer and let him provide the glasses.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Mobile Hot Spot Saves the Day
Time was when a vacation meant severing connections with the work a day world for a week or two. Going to the beach or to the mountains was a chance to get away for a time without many of the modern conveniences that both make our life easier and more connected. For many, vacations have turned into a time when we are prone to multitask even more than we regularly do. We are on vacation. We enjoy the beach and fresh air. We change our daily schedule. But many of us also stay connected to our “day job” using mobile phones and laptops.
When searching for a vacation spot, albeit a campground or a five star hotel, the availability of high speed Internet access is often as important as a great view or proximity to attractions. My wife and I have been taking a week each year to join friends on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The seashore there is outstanding and the weather, other than for the occasional September hurricane, is beautiful.
For the past few years we have enjoyed having high speed Internet access where we were staying. I was able to keep up with office emails and appointments and still enjoy time in the sun. This year, partially because of the recent hurricane that hit portions of the islands, we stayed at a place that did not have a working Internet connection.
This would have put a real crimp in my plans for the week but my smart phone came to the rescue. My phone, like several other phones from various vendors and carriers, can be used as a Mobile Hot Spot. This feature makes my phone a wifi hub and connects any computer device with wifi capability to the Internet using the phone’s 3G or 4G mobile connection. In other words the phone works just like the wifi hub in your house or office, but instead of connecting to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider like RoadRunner or Fuse, it uses the mobile phone network, in my case Verizon.
The connection, dubbed by some providers as “myfi,” is not as fast as a regular wifi/broadband connection but the speed is more than adequate to access email and my office network. You sign on to the hot spot the same way you sign on to any wifi service at home or at the local coffee shop. You can password protect the access if you wish.
When using “myfi” you will notice that the mobile phone’s battery will only provide about one hour of service. It is a good idea to keep the battery charger connected to the phone when using the hot spot feature for longer than a few minutes. Also, some plans charge a premium for hot spot technology. You may want to ask your provider if it is included in your plan.
If you do a lot of traveling and need Internet connection, the mobile hot spot feature on your phone may be just the ticket.
When searching for a vacation spot, albeit a campground or a five star hotel, the availability of high speed Internet access is often as important as a great view or proximity to attractions. My wife and I have been taking a week each year to join friends on the Outer Banks of North Carolina. The seashore there is outstanding and the weather, other than for the occasional September hurricane, is beautiful.
For the past few years we have enjoyed having high speed Internet access where we were staying. I was able to keep up with office emails and appointments and still enjoy time in the sun. This year, partially because of the recent hurricane that hit portions of the islands, we stayed at a place that did not have a working Internet connection.
This would have put a real crimp in my plans for the week but my smart phone came to the rescue. My phone, like several other phones from various vendors and carriers, can be used as a Mobile Hot Spot. This feature makes my phone a wifi hub and connects any computer device with wifi capability to the Internet using the phone’s 3G or 4G mobile connection. In other words the phone works just like the wifi hub in your house or office, but instead of connecting to the Internet via an Internet Service Provider like RoadRunner or Fuse, it uses the mobile phone network, in my case Verizon.
The connection, dubbed by some providers as “myfi,” is not as fast as a regular wifi/broadband connection but the speed is more than adequate to access email and my office network. You sign on to the hot spot the same way you sign on to any wifi service at home or at the local coffee shop. You can password protect the access if you wish.
When using “myfi” you will notice that the mobile phone’s battery will only provide about one hour of service. It is a good idea to keep the battery charger connected to the phone when using the hot spot feature for longer than a few minutes. Also, some plans charge a premium for hot spot technology. You may want to ask your provider if it is included in your plan.
If you do a lot of traveling and need Internet connection, the mobile hot spot feature on your phone may be just the ticket.
Monday, September 19, 2011
Mirror, Mirror On the Car
One of the first popular high tech wireless services available to drivers is OnStar. Using a combination of cellular and GPS technologies, OnStar has been around since 1995 beginning as a partnership between General Motors and Hughes Electronics. I am sure you have seen or heard one of the commercials showing an accident victim being soothed by an OnStar operator or a person faced with keys locked inside a running car gaining entry with the aid of a friendly OnStar representative. OnStar has garnered a solid reputation for providing superior customer service and ease of use. Up until now, since the system was a factory installed option and was integrated into the systems of the car, it has only been available for those with cars and trucks manufactured by General Motors. Beginning this year the service is being expanded as an after market option for most any car regardless of make and model.
Called OnStar FMV (OnStar For My Vehicle), this expanded product packs all the electronics into the body of a rear view mirror. This special mirror replaces the existing mirror in your car and is connected with a few small wires to your car’s innards. Once installed the customer has the choice of two levels of service as well as a mobile phone service, albeit expensive, in your car.
Once you check to make sure your car is compatible with the system by going to www.onstarfmv.com, you will need to purchase the OnStar Mirror with the initial price of $299.00. Installation charges will vary.
Two service plans are then available. The first, called “Safe & Sound,” has a monthly fee of $18.99 and provides assistance if you are in an accident or your car becomes disabled. The second plan, called “Direction & Connection,” provides added services like navigation assistance, dinner reservations, stolen car recovery assistance and more. It is pricier at almost $30.00 per month. You can also get telephone directory assistance and place calls from your car but the cost per minute is very expensive.
The one thing that sets all OnStar services apart is the customer assistance. There are real live human beings at the call center. While I have not used it myself, those who do use it report exceptional support and service. This might well be an example of getting what you are paying for since the first level of service will cost almost $500 even if you never push that OnStar button.
You will need to decide if you think it is worth it. It is a service that works, and works well. If peace of mind and worry free driving is a high priority for you, OnStar FMV is worth a look.
Called OnStar FMV (OnStar For My Vehicle), this expanded product packs all the electronics into the body of a rear view mirror. This special mirror replaces the existing mirror in your car and is connected with a few small wires to your car’s innards. Once installed the customer has the choice of two levels of service as well as a mobile phone service, albeit expensive, in your car.
Once you check to make sure your car is compatible with the system by going to www.onstarfmv.com, you will need to purchase the OnStar Mirror with the initial price of $299.00. Installation charges will vary.
Two service plans are then available. The first, called “Safe & Sound,” has a monthly fee of $18.99 and provides assistance if you are in an accident or your car becomes disabled. The second plan, called “Direction & Connection,” provides added services like navigation assistance, dinner reservations, stolen car recovery assistance and more. It is pricier at almost $30.00 per month. You can also get telephone directory assistance and place calls from your car but the cost per minute is very expensive.
The one thing that sets all OnStar services apart is the customer assistance. There are real live human beings at the call center. While I have not used it myself, those who do use it report exceptional support and service. This might well be an example of getting what you are paying for since the first level of service will cost almost $500 even if you never push that OnStar button.
You will need to decide if you think it is worth it. It is a service that works, and works well. If peace of mind and worry free driving is a high priority for you, OnStar FMV is worth a look.
Monday, September 12, 2011
The Web Turns 20
In the summer of 1991, Tim Berners-Lee, a scientist at the European Organization for Nuclear Research or CERN (the same group who just built the Super Collider) unveiled to his colleagues a system for organizing information on the Internet. He called his invention the World Wide Web. A few months later here in the US at the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana, the first graphical interface or web browser called Mosaic was unveiled. Over the twenty years since these announcements the World Wide Web has become integrated into just about every aspect of daily life. The web and browsers like Internet Explorer, Safari and Firefox are used by pre-schoolers and Ph.D scholars alike.
It is hard for most of us to remember a world without the web. Just the other day I had occasion to use the web for a most mundane task but with results that are nothing short of mind boggling. My wife reported that our clothes dryer had stopped working and that she found a small piece of metal in the drum. I recognized the broken piece as part of the small spring-loaded safety switch that turns the dryer off when the door is opened. Loosening a couple of screws allowed me to remove the switch and the remaining portion of the broken piece of metal. In the past I would have spent a lot of time calling around to find this 50 cent part since I am way too cheap to call a repair person for such a simple fix. The problem was that I didn’t even know what to call it, let alone the part number.
After finding the model number of the dryer, I entered it into Google and sure enough, within seconds there appeared a diagram of my Whirlpool Dryer Model LE8650XWWO. After a quick review of the diagram I found the switch and the small piece of metal that was now identified as “Dryer Door Switch Actuator Spring/Lever – Part Number PS383733.” Right on that same page was the “Add to Shopping Cart” icon. So in a matter of a few minutes I found the part and ordered it sent via priority mail to my house. Even in the best of circumstances, before introduction of the web, I would have needed to spend hours just finding the part.
For sure my experience is not, as they say, “rocket science,” but that is exactly the point. The web has transformed how we shop, how we play, how we learn, how we work and even how we think. With information simple and sublime being added to our collective inventory of knowledge at an almost exponential rate, the only way we can hope to keep track of it all is with digital tools like the World Wide Web.
The web is not even old enough to order a cold beer but I bet you can find out how to make some in less than a minute.
It is hard for most of us to remember a world without the web. Just the other day I had occasion to use the web for a most mundane task but with results that are nothing short of mind boggling. My wife reported that our clothes dryer had stopped working and that she found a small piece of metal in the drum. I recognized the broken piece as part of the small spring-loaded safety switch that turns the dryer off when the door is opened. Loosening a couple of screws allowed me to remove the switch and the remaining portion of the broken piece of metal. In the past I would have spent a lot of time calling around to find this 50 cent part since I am way too cheap to call a repair person for such a simple fix. The problem was that I didn’t even know what to call it, let alone the part number.
After finding the model number of the dryer, I entered it into Google and sure enough, within seconds there appeared a diagram of my Whirlpool Dryer Model LE8650XWWO. After a quick review of the diagram I found the switch and the small piece of metal that was now identified as “Dryer Door Switch Actuator Spring/Lever – Part Number PS383733.” Right on that same page was the “Add to Shopping Cart” icon. So in a matter of a few minutes I found the part and ordered it sent via priority mail to my house. Even in the best of circumstances, before introduction of the web, I would have needed to spend hours just finding the part.
For sure my experience is not, as they say, “rocket science,” but that is exactly the point. The web has transformed how we shop, how we play, how we learn, how we work and even how we think. With information simple and sublime being added to our collective inventory of knowledge at an almost exponential rate, the only way we can hope to keep track of it all is with digital tools like the World Wide Web.
The web is not even old enough to order a cold beer but I bet you can find out how to make some in less than a minute.
Monday, September 5, 2011
There Isn't an App for Steve
In these weekly columns I try to keep from editorializing and make sure the content is centered on all things digital. “Things” in this context have always been hardware, software or services. This week I am going to depart from that format and reflect on the recent announcement by Steve Jobs that he is stepping down as the CEO of Apple.
Anyone who knows me well will attest to the fact that I have very strong opinions about Steve Jobs and Apple. My biggest complaint is the high degree of control he and the company maintain over every aspect of any product or service they develop. Unlike many other high tech companies who manufacture hardware or develop software that can be used on many different digital platforms, Apple has always tried to either own or control all aspects of their product. There is no doubt that this control has sometimes resulted in superior products and legendary high quality customer support and loyalty. Some of this control is understandable, but some of it seems to smack of arrogance and a way to keep the customer tethered to the Apple cult.
For example, the battery in the iPhone can’t be replaced by anyone but the authorized Apple dealer. If you should replace it yourself, you void the warranty. Another control issue relates to Mr. Jobs and his refusal to accommodate “Flash” software in any of his new products. Oblivious to the fact that Adobe Flash is the format used by millions of video producers on the Internet, Jobs forces those with an iPad or iPhone to forego viewing Flash encoded videos or face violating one of the Apple commandments by installing the forbidden “jail break” software, again resulting in a non–supported warranty.
History is replete with people who have made significant positive contributions to society but were really not easy people to like. It is reported that Edison was a less then congenial fellow. It may be apocryphal, but Mussolini was said to have the trains running on time in Italy. (“Jobophiles” may find the last reference hard to take.)
Seriously, Jobs is sure to go down in history as one of the most significant persons in the Digital Age. Almost single handedly he developed products that have become the very standard in listening to music, making phone calls and interacting with the Internet. His products not only are well designed and well made, they are also intuitive to use. It is for the latter that he and Apple may be most appreciated. At a time when some high tech companies require the user to read incomprehensible manuals to operate simple devices like TV sets and phones, Apple products require little instruction. They work the way most non-geeks think they will.
It remains to be seen how a company that was so controlled by one person will fare when that leader is no longer at the helm. One thing is for sure, if Apple never introduces another new product, it will still remain a 21st Century icon.
Anyone who knows me well will attest to the fact that I have very strong opinions about Steve Jobs and Apple. My biggest complaint is the high degree of control he and the company maintain over every aspect of any product or service they develop. Unlike many other high tech companies who manufacture hardware or develop software that can be used on many different digital platforms, Apple has always tried to either own or control all aspects of their product. There is no doubt that this control has sometimes resulted in superior products and legendary high quality customer support and loyalty. Some of this control is understandable, but some of it seems to smack of arrogance and a way to keep the customer tethered to the Apple cult.
For example, the battery in the iPhone can’t be replaced by anyone but the authorized Apple dealer. If you should replace it yourself, you void the warranty. Another control issue relates to Mr. Jobs and his refusal to accommodate “Flash” software in any of his new products. Oblivious to the fact that Adobe Flash is the format used by millions of video producers on the Internet, Jobs forces those with an iPad or iPhone to forego viewing Flash encoded videos or face violating one of the Apple commandments by installing the forbidden “jail break” software, again resulting in a non–supported warranty.
History is replete with people who have made significant positive contributions to society but were really not easy people to like. It is reported that Edison was a less then congenial fellow. It may be apocryphal, but Mussolini was said to have the trains running on time in Italy. (“Jobophiles” may find the last reference hard to take.)
Seriously, Jobs is sure to go down in history as one of the most significant persons in the Digital Age. Almost single handedly he developed products that have become the very standard in listening to music, making phone calls and interacting with the Internet. His products not only are well designed and well made, they are also intuitive to use. It is for the latter that he and Apple may be most appreciated. At a time when some high tech companies require the user to read incomprehensible manuals to operate simple devices like TV sets and phones, Apple products require little instruction. They work the way most non-geeks think they will.
It remains to be seen how a company that was so controlled by one person will fare when that leader is no longer at the helm. One thing is for sure, if Apple never introduces another new product, it will still remain a 21st Century icon.
Monday, August 29, 2011
Wideband...Broadband on Steroids
There has been a flurry of advertisements on TV and print lately touting new higher speed access to the Internet. Cincinnati Bell offers a new fiber based system which is very good and robust and provides both very high speed Internet access and high definition TV service. They promise Internet speeds up to 100 mbps. Unfortunately, they do not yet provide this enhanced service throughout the region. Time Warner Cable has been pushing what they call Wideband. According to the ads, the new service can provide up to 50 mbps. To put this all in perspective, the regular turbo RoadRunner runs at about 3 mbps.
Time was when most of us only used the Internet to send and receive emails which, for the most part, were made up of text and, on occasion, a few pictures. This required very little bandwidth and many of us used our regular telephone lines to make the Internet connection. You may remember the term “dial up.” Today we use the Internet for tasks that were unheard of just a few years ago. Watching high definition video, making video calls to persons around the world and connecting our smart phones to the cloud all require a great amount of bandwidth. The big question is what speed is right for your situation.
Watching the new TV commercials for Time Warner’s Wideband can give the impression that we all need super high speed services. This may be a bit of a stretch and can also be very expensive. For sure, if you are going to use the Internet to download full length high definition TV programming, the higher speed is a good idea. A ten page text email uses less bandwidth to download than one second of HD video. The fact is that, so far, few use the Internet as the primary way of watching TV programs.
Some people are confused about the advertisements because they blur the lines between watching TV via the Internet and watching TV via digital cable. You need the Wideband speed only if you watch programming via the Internet from services like Hulu.com or Netflix.com. If you are a digital cable subscriber you don’t need Wideband to watch TV.
I find it interesting and somewhat disingenuous on the part of Time Warner with their commercials promoting Wideband. The ads show a family happily playing games and watching movies. All of these activities require Wideband band service. Then the commercial cuts to a graphic with large text, “Starting at only $29.99 a Month.” Of course, when you investigate further, you will find that Wideband is much more expensive and will cost as much as $99.99 per month. The $29.99 per month has fine print indicating this rate is for a 2 to 10 mbps service. The remaining 40 mbps will cost you a bit more. Caveat Emptor!
Time was when most of us only used the Internet to send and receive emails which, for the most part, were made up of text and, on occasion, a few pictures. This required very little bandwidth and many of us used our regular telephone lines to make the Internet connection. You may remember the term “dial up.” Today we use the Internet for tasks that were unheard of just a few years ago. Watching high definition video, making video calls to persons around the world and connecting our smart phones to the cloud all require a great amount of bandwidth. The big question is what speed is right for your situation.
Watching the new TV commercials for Time Warner’s Wideband can give the impression that we all need super high speed services. This may be a bit of a stretch and can also be very expensive. For sure, if you are going to use the Internet to download full length high definition TV programming, the higher speed is a good idea. A ten page text email uses less bandwidth to download than one second of HD video. The fact is that, so far, few use the Internet as the primary way of watching TV programs.
Some people are confused about the advertisements because they blur the lines between watching TV via the Internet and watching TV via digital cable. You need the Wideband speed only if you watch programming via the Internet from services like Hulu.com or Netflix.com. If you are a digital cable subscriber you don’t need Wideband to watch TV.
I find it interesting and somewhat disingenuous on the part of Time Warner with their commercials promoting Wideband. The ads show a family happily playing games and watching movies. All of these activities require Wideband band service. Then the commercial cuts to a graphic with large text, “Starting at only $29.99 a Month.” Of course, when you investigate further, you will find that Wideband is much more expensive and will cost as much as $99.99 per month. The $29.99 per month has fine print indicating this rate is for a 2 to 10 mbps service. The remaining 40 mbps will cost you a bit more. Caveat Emptor!
Tuesday, August 23, 2011
Don't Leave Home Without It!
For years the holy grail of radio transmission has been to design a system that could transmit information across vast distances. Recently Visa and several mobile phone manufacturers have been perfecting a technology that is designed to transmit data over distances measured in inches not miles. Dubbed Near–Field Communication or NFC, this technology is being built into many high end smartphones and will allow the user to use the phone as an electronic wallet making purchases with a simple wave of their phone.
According to a press release from Visa, NFC technology passes encrypted information between devices at close range without contact. Instead of swiping a card, shoppers can wave their smartphone near a terminal, effectively turning an NFC enabled phone into a virtual debit or credit card.
Those traveling in Europe, especially the Scandinavian countries, may have already seen this technology in action as these countries have had wireless payment systems for several years. The technology has been slower to be adopted in the US due in part to a much larger population and a more fragmented mobile phone infrastructure.
Of course, the NFC equipped smart phone is only one part of the equation. For the system to be operational and commercially viable there must be a major retrofit of millions of point-of-purchase devices. Vending machines, parking meters, gas pumps and ATMs will need to be NFC equipped. Since many of these devices already are connected to the Internet, part of the task is complete.
As other major credit card companies embrace this new wireless transaction technology, more and more smartphone makers will incorporate NFC chips into the phones and more and more retailers will accept these ePayments. The major credit card providers will continue to support a range of cardholder verification methods, including signature and PIN methods. Chip payments are generally considered to be more secure resulting in a reduction in the payment processor's fraud costs.
So, in the not too distant future, the “Don’t leave home without it” slogan may refer to your phone not your Visacard. Oh wait…they are the same thing!
According to a press release from Visa, NFC technology passes encrypted information between devices at close range without contact. Instead of swiping a card, shoppers can wave their smartphone near a terminal, effectively turning an NFC enabled phone into a virtual debit or credit card.
Those traveling in Europe, especially the Scandinavian countries, may have already seen this technology in action as these countries have had wireless payment systems for several years. The technology has been slower to be adopted in the US due in part to a much larger population and a more fragmented mobile phone infrastructure.
Of course, the NFC equipped smart phone is only one part of the equation. For the system to be operational and commercially viable there must be a major retrofit of millions of point-of-purchase devices. Vending machines, parking meters, gas pumps and ATMs will need to be NFC equipped. Since many of these devices already are connected to the Internet, part of the task is complete.
As other major credit card companies embrace this new wireless transaction technology, more and more smartphone makers will incorporate NFC chips into the phones and more and more retailers will accept these ePayments. The major credit card providers will continue to support a range of cardholder verification methods, including signature and PIN methods. Chip payments are generally considered to be more secure resulting in a reduction in the payment processor's fraud costs.
So, in the not too distant future, the “Don’t leave home without it” slogan may refer to your phone not your Visacard. Oh wait…they are the same thing!
Sunday, August 14, 2011
Kindle or iPad?
Several people have asked if they should purchase a Kindle or an iPad. The question really can’t be answered until I ascertain what they plan to do with the device. If you are a regular reader of this column you know that I think that the Kindle is one of the best electronic devices to come around in many years. You also know that I have praised the iPad as one of the most innovative and user friendly digital devices ever.
Unlike the iPad which is essentially an electronic Swiss army knife, the Kindle does one thing and only one thing extremely well. It is in my opinion the best eReader on the market. Priced about $150, the Kindle from Amazon.com is a serious reader’s dream device. It is light weight and it has awesome battery life measured in weeks not hours. The crisp black and white display uses “eInk” technology that is easily viewed in bright sunlight. It can hold thousands of full length books and most any book in the world can be downloaded in seconds into the device. The Kindle comes with software that allows you to mark and save your favorite passages and even has a dictionary to assist with words that may not be familiar. For reading text the Kindle is a near perfect device. If you want to surf the web, read magazines, play games or write the next great novel, the Kindle should not be your choice.
The iPad does most everything a desktop or lap top computer can do but it does it more elegantly and always with the user in mind. You can surf the web with ease. Watching your favorite TV show or movie can be done with a few screen touches. The number of apps, or programs for the iPad, grows almost exponentially each month. The iPad, perhaps even more than its older siblings, the iPhone and iPod, has revolutionized how we use a computer.
The iPad does indeed have several eReader apps but does not in my opinion come close to the Kindle. First of all the iPad is larger and heavier and the battery life is measured in hours. The screen, while bright and sharp, can not be viewed in bright sunlight and because it is back lighted, reading for long stretches of time can cause eye fatigue. The iPad does do a better job of displaying magazine content that uses lots of illustrations, graphs, photographs and intricate design elements. Also, if the reading material contains links to web sites and other content on the Internet, the iPad is a better choice.
The bottom line is that the devices are really very different. If you want a great eReader you can’t beat the Kindle for price and utility. If you want a mobile high end computer, the iPad should be your choice. For me having both is the best choice. You can use a Swiss army knife for occasionally tightening a loose screw. If you plan to build a deck, you may wish to have a power screw driver.
Unlike the iPad which is essentially an electronic Swiss army knife, the Kindle does one thing and only one thing extremely well. It is in my opinion the best eReader on the market. Priced about $150, the Kindle from Amazon.com is a serious reader’s dream device. It is light weight and it has awesome battery life measured in weeks not hours. The crisp black and white display uses “eInk” technology that is easily viewed in bright sunlight. It can hold thousands of full length books and most any book in the world can be downloaded in seconds into the device. The Kindle comes with software that allows you to mark and save your favorite passages and even has a dictionary to assist with words that may not be familiar. For reading text the Kindle is a near perfect device. If you want to surf the web, read magazines, play games or write the next great novel, the Kindle should not be your choice.
The iPad does most everything a desktop or lap top computer can do but it does it more elegantly and always with the user in mind. You can surf the web with ease. Watching your favorite TV show or movie can be done with a few screen touches. The number of apps, or programs for the iPad, grows almost exponentially each month. The iPad, perhaps even more than its older siblings, the iPhone and iPod, has revolutionized how we use a computer.
The iPad does indeed have several eReader apps but does not in my opinion come close to the Kindle. First of all the iPad is larger and heavier and the battery life is measured in hours. The screen, while bright and sharp, can not be viewed in bright sunlight and because it is back lighted, reading for long stretches of time can cause eye fatigue. The iPad does do a better job of displaying magazine content that uses lots of illustrations, graphs, photographs and intricate design elements. Also, if the reading material contains links to web sites and other content on the Internet, the iPad is a better choice.
The bottom line is that the devices are really very different. If you want a great eReader you can’t beat the Kindle for price and utility. If you want a mobile high end computer, the iPad should be your choice. For me having both is the best choice. You can use a Swiss army knife for occasionally tightening a loose screw. If you plan to build a deck, you may wish to have a power screw driver.
Monday, August 8, 2011
Survivor’s Guide
I was asked recently what technology skills and knowledge I felt were important for non-technical boomers to have in order to function in this increasingly complex and ever changing digital environment. Presuming that most of us will not be retreating to some desert island or isolated mountain top to live out our days, like it or not we will be faced with more and more technology incorporated into even the most mundane devices and activities. I am not sure that I can really give a list of skills that you may wish to develop but I can suggest some ways you can more safely navigates this new territory.
As much as we may fight it, our banks and merchants will continue to move almost exclusively toward an electronic payment system. For now it may continue to be based on plastic credit and debit cards but soon will include mobile phones and other digital wallets. It will be important to understand that these conveniences carry with them the need to be vigilant. While most of us would never leave a wallet or purse containing our money and credit cards on our desk or car seat, we may be much less concerned about our cell phone or lap top. Very often these devices contain our passwords and account numbers. Some miscreant can easily find them.
Speaking of passwords, a recent study found that more than 30% of mobile phone users never changed the default password for their mobile phone voice mail account if one was provided by the phone or service vender. These default passwords are well publicized and not changing yours is as bad as writing it on the back of the phone. While we are on the topic of passwords, using your kid’s name or your birth date for a password is also so prevalent that hackers try those first when trying to compromise your accounts.
Wifi hot spots are springing up all over. Gas stations, coffee shops, restaurants, libraries and the doctor’s office provide wireless Internet access. Using your smart phone or lap top to find directions, check the weather or the sports scores via public wifi hotspots is fine. Checking your bank balance or paying bills is not. These wifi networks can be hacked easily and everything you type can be intercepted by that sweet old lady sitting next to you.
Using these new digital tools will continue to get easier. Using them wisely and safely will continue to be more difficult.
As much as we may fight it, our banks and merchants will continue to move almost exclusively toward an electronic payment system. For now it may continue to be based on plastic credit and debit cards but soon will include mobile phones and other digital wallets. It will be important to understand that these conveniences carry with them the need to be vigilant. While most of us would never leave a wallet or purse containing our money and credit cards on our desk or car seat, we may be much less concerned about our cell phone or lap top. Very often these devices contain our passwords and account numbers. Some miscreant can easily find them.
Speaking of passwords, a recent study found that more than 30% of mobile phone users never changed the default password for their mobile phone voice mail account if one was provided by the phone or service vender. These default passwords are well publicized and not changing yours is as bad as writing it on the back of the phone. While we are on the topic of passwords, using your kid’s name or your birth date for a password is also so prevalent that hackers try those first when trying to compromise your accounts.
Wifi hot spots are springing up all over. Gas stations, coffee shops, restaurants, libraries and the doctor’s office provide wireless Internet access. Using your smart phone or lap top to find directions, check the weather or the sports scores via public wifi hotspots is fine. Checking your bank balance or paying bills is not. These wifi networks can be hacked easily and everything you type can be intercepted by that sweet old lady sitting next to you.
Using these new digital tools will continue to get easier. Using them wisely and safely will continue to be more difficult.
Sunday, July 31, 2011
They are Everywhere
QR Bar Codes Are Showing Up Everywhere
They are showing up all over town. You find them in newspapers and magazines, on bus cards and in museums. You will see them on real estate signs and fast food menus. At first they may look like one of those Maze Games that you played with as a kid. In reality they are an extension of the bar code you may find on the box of cereal or loaf of bread as you run through the check out at the store. Called “QR” or “two dimensional codes,” these black and white printed labels made up of lines and boxes can hold much more information that the old bar codes consisting of only vertical lines of different thickness and placement.
The reason that they are becoming so prevalent is that they can be read by most smart phones and the information can be instantly translated into an Internet address leading to additional information and detail.
For example, using a QR code on a real estate sign provides a way for the potential buyer to see much more detail about a property of interest even when the agent is not there. Scanning the code on the sign can bring the prospective buyer to a video tour of the home, information about the neighborhood and any other detail that might promote further interest. All of this played back on the mobile phone while standing in front of the house.
Your walk through a museum or gallery can be enhanced if the displays and
artwork have corresponding QR codes. Scanning the codes as you walk through can provide added information. Even an audio or video presentation about the display can be presented to you on the phone’s screen. The same technology could be employed in cities and towns providing a running narrative of your walk through historic neighborhoods or buildings.
The CR code above can be scanned by a smart phone with an appropriate scanning app will take you to a page on Wikipedia. You don’t need to enter an address or any special codes. All you need do is scan and let the phone make the connection.
Sunday, July 17, 2011
Your Age and Your Technology Linked
A recent conversation with a young lady tending bar at a local eatery prompts this week’s missive. As I was waiting for a lunch companion, I was speaking with a friend about how Apple had just announced that more than 15 billion Apps had been downloaded from the iTunes Store since it began a few years ago. That is “Billion” with a “B” and works out to more than 2 Apps for every person now living on the earth. The conversation was overheard by the bar tender who chimed in that she used several apps to just watch TV.
As the conversation progressed she related that she does not own a radio or a TV set but is an avid watcher of TV and listens to radio stations a lot. She does it all on her computer or digital mobile device. The young lady looked to be in her late 20s and is representative of a sea change in how we will all someday consume media. More and more of us are forsaking the cable, satellite or broadcast platforms and relying on the Internet for not only YouTube short videos but full length TV shows and movies. Pandora.com allows us to have customized “radio stations” that fit our changing moods and tastes. Many Public and Commercial TV programs can be watched on line.
For certain, the older you are the more likely you may be wedded to the more traditional forms of Radio and TV but, as sure as the VHS Tape and Cassette Audio disappeared from our media landscape, more of us will be using on line platforms and less and less using the traditional modes of delivery. Just ask a thirty year old.
This change in consumer behaviour poses lots of questions and issues. How will we pay for the programming if commercials can be deleted and skipped? When will we fill up the available band width that wireless internet requires? Will these new platforms prove reliable in emergencies and bad weather?
Perhaps the same questions were asked about the telegraph when it replaced the pony express or the steam engine when it replaced the horse.
As the conversation progressed she related that she does not own a radio or a TV set but is an avid watcher of TV and listens to radio stations a lot. She does it all on her computer or digital mobile device. The young lady looked to be in her late 20s and is representative of a sea change in how we will all someday consume media. More and more of us are forsaking the cable, satellite or broadcast platforms and relying on the Internet for not only YouTube short videos but full length TV shows and movies. Pandora.com allows us to have customized “radio stations” that fit our changing moods and tastes. Many Public and Commercial TV programs can be watched on line.
For certain, the older you are the more likely you may be wedded to the more traditional forms of Radio and TV but, as sure as the VHS Tape and Cassette Audio disappeared from our media landscape, more of us will be using on line platforms and less and less using the traditional modes of delivery. Just ask a thirty year old.
This change in consumer behaviour poses lots of questions and issues. How will we pay for the programming if commercials can be deleted and skipped? When will we fill up the available band width that wireless internet requires? Will these new platforms prove reliable in emergencies and bad weather?
Perhaps the same questions were asked about the telegraph when it replaced the pony express or the steam engine when it replaced the horse.
Monday, July 11, 2011
TV Commercials for Hearing Impaired Legit.
I wrote about this a few years ago but the commercials on local TV are back offering telephones that display in text form the other end of a phone conversation so that those with profound hearing loss can make and receive phone calls. The ads indicate that the phones can be free. This is only one of several similar offers aimed at older adults and just like the free cell phones and free scooters, the offer is true but the description may be a bit incomplete.
In this case, a company called CapTel (www.capTel.com) markets a hard wired telephone that has a small LCD display. The phone uses the same wires and systems as any wired telephone and requires no additional fees to the telephone company. The phone is purchased from CapTel for about $100. The phone is only half of the required system. In order to display the captions, the incoming caller’s voice needs to be digitized for display on the phone. The CapTel phone does not do this.
What the advertisements don’t tell you is that when someone wants to call you and have their voice displayed on your phone in text, they need to go though a third party. Many states, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky included, have “relay” systems that provide this service. A person calling you dials a 800 number first and then, when prompted, enters your telephone number. The systems connects with your phone and displays the callers voice as text.
In most states, the service is free. It is in the case of our three neighboring states. Some individuals, depending on their income may be eligible for assistance in purchasing the phones as well. Information can be obtained in Ohio at (800) 973-4560 and in Indiana at (317) 334-1413.
This system should not be confused with the TTY services that have been around for years where special equipment on BOTH sides of the line allow two hearing impaired people to “talk” using text only. With the proliferation of mobile phones and text messaging, TTY is quickly becoming obsolete.
The CapTel systems work well but they are not as hassle free as the smiling elderly man on the TV commercial might indicate. You do need to let your friends and relatives know that they need to go though the 800 number if their conversation is to be translated into text. For those with significant hearing loss it is worth looking into.
In this case, a company called CapTel (www.capTel.com) markets a hard wired telephone that has a small LCD display. The phone uses the same wires and systems as any wired telephone and requires no additional fees to the telephone company. The phone is purchased from CapTel for about $100. The phone is only half of the required system. In order to display the captions, the incoming caller’s voice needs to be digitized for display on the phone. The CapTel phone does not do this.
What the advertisements don’t tell you is that when someone wants to call you and have their voice displayed on your phone in text, they need to go though a third party. Many states, Ohio, Indiana and Kentucky included, have “relay” systems that provide this service. A person calling you dials a 800 number first and then, when prompted, enters your telephone number. The systems connects with your phone and displays the callers voice as text.
In most states, the service is free. It is in the case of our three neighboring states. Some individuals, depending on their income may be eligible for assistance in purchasing the phones as well. Information can be obtained in Ohio at (800) 973-4560 and in Indiana at (317) 334-1413.
This system should not be confused with the TTY services that have been around for years where special equipment on BOTH sides of the line allow two hearing impaired people to “talk” using text only. With the proliferation of mobile phones and text messaging, TTY is quickly becoming obsolete.
The CapTel systems work well but they are not as hassle free as the smiling elderly man on the TV commercial might indicate. You do need to let your friends and relatives know that they need to go though the 800 number if their conversation is to be translated into text. For those with significant hearing loss it is worth looking into.
Sunday, July 3, 2011
If It Is Not Broke....
Since the very first days of the World Wide Web, most of us have grown accustomed to the various web address conventions. The dot com, dot org and dot edu suffixes are as familiar to us using Internet as Area Codes are when making a phone call. Over and above the suffixes listed above there are some that are used to designate various countries of the world like dot us for the United States and dot uk for the United Kingdom. Other than the country suffixes there are currently only about twenty other suffixes used throughout the world. The three listed above are the most used but there are others other less known like dot mil for the military, dot gov for government and dot info for reference sites. That list may get much larger very soon.
Just a couple of weeks ago, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal that will change web address conventions forever. ICANN is the Internet’s international body that is responsible for maintaining structure and order to Internet domain names for the millions of Internet address holders and billions of Internet users.
According to some experts, this is the biggest change to domain names since the creation of dot com 26 years ago. If these changes get implemented businesses will no longer be restricted to the list of generic top level domains which now include dot com and dot org when they apply to register a website address.
So a large company like Macy’s or Procter & Gamble might be able to change their web address from the current www.macys.com or www.pg.com to www.shop.macys or www.washwith.tide.
Companies wanting to take advantage of this new domain structure will find that it does not come inexpensively. ICANN will charge $185,000 per name and levy an annual fee to maintain the names.
I think this change is really an example to fixing something that is not broken and in many cases will be introducing a system that will be harder to use. Some websites already have very long names, but they most often make sense. For example, if you want information on the CSO concert at Music Hall you can go to www.cincinnatisymphony.org. With this new method of naming web sites it is anyone’s guess how long and how complicated they might get. If I had the bucks perhaps I could get a new web site. I would call it www.jackdominic.besuretoreadmygreatcolumnsintheharrisonpress. That should be easy to remember.
Just a couple of weeks ago, the Internet Corporation for Assigned Names and Numbers (ICANN) voted overwhelmingly in favor of the proposal that will change web address conventions forever. ICANN is the Internet’s international body that is responsible for maintaining structure and order to Internet domain names for the millions of Internet address holders and billions of Internet users.
According to some experts, this is the biggest change to domain names since the creation of dot com 26 years ago. If these changes get implemented businesses will no longer be restricted to the list of generic top level domains which now include dot com and dot org when they apply to register a website address.
So a large company like Macy’s or Procter & Gamble might be able to change their web address from the current www.macys.com or www.pg.com to www.shop.macys or www.washwith.tide.
Companies wanting to take advantage of this new domain structure will find that it does not come inexpensively. ICANN will charge $185,000 per name and levy an annual fee to maintain the names.
I think this change is really an example to fixing something that is not broken and in many cases will be introducing a system that will be harder to use. Some websites already have very long names, but they most often make sense. For example, if you want information on the CSO concert at Music Hall you can go to www.cincinnatisymphony.org. With this new method of naming web sites it is anyone’s guess how long and how complicated they might get. If I had the bucks perhaps I could get a new web site. I would call it www.jackdominic.besuretoreadmygreatcolumnsintheharrisonpress. That should be easy to remember.
Monday, June 27, 2011
Chromebooks Offer Alternative to Labtops
It is interesting to see how technology prognostications often take longer to come to reality than anyone ever thinks and sometimes they never do come to reality. Back in the dark ages of the personal computer, an executive with IBM was quoted as saying that the world would someday have very few real computers. His vision was that we would all have inexpensive devices that connected us to super computers. His ideas were dismissed by many pundits in the 1980s since the PC was putting awesome computer power on the desktop. When CD Rom discs came out offering inexpensive data storage, it was predicted that everyone would have vast libraries of information in there homes stored on these shinny plastic platters.
Skip ahead to the present. Last week the first of the Google Chromebooks hit the market. These machines that look like a regular lap top computer are the incarnation of the IBM executive’s vision. The have no hard drive, they don’t require Windows or Mac software and are not prone to viruses. They have very good battery life since they are essentially a keyboard, mouse and video screen connected via the Internet to large remote servers. They are the ultimate device for cloud computing.
Unlike a desktop or laptop computer, all of the programs and all of the data files are stored in the cloud. If you should loose your computer or it gets damaged, all of your documents, pictures, videos and music are still available since those files were never actually stored in your machine.
Tasks that once required Windows or Mac operating systems and various programs like Microsoft Office, now can be done using the software available free on the Google web site. Just like your data files, the programs are never really resident in your machine.
The major drawback of using a Chromebook comes if you should loose access to the Internet. Without that connection the Chromebook is nothing more than a three pound paper weight. It can do nothing. You can’t write a paper, look at pictures or play videos.
The folks at Google are betting that since most of us are already doing much of our computing on the Internet, these machines will prove to be more than adequate for the majority of regular users. They point out that most people use their computer to access email, search for information on Google or Wikipedia or watch videos on YouTube or Hulu. These and other similar tasks can be done very well on the Chromebook.
Chromebooks connect to the Internet using wifi or the various 3G or 4G networks. The first of the Chromebooks are being made by Acer and Samsung in partnership with Google. The price is about $500 but the prices should fall quickly as more manufacturers bring versions to market. At this writing they are only available at Best Buy or Amazon.com.
Skip ahead to the present. Last week the first of the Google Chromebooks hit the market. These machines that look like a regular lap top computer are the incarnation of the IBM executive’s vision. The have no hard drive, they don’t require Windows or Mac software and are not prone to viruses. They have very good battery life since they are essentially a keyboard, mouse and video screen connected via the Internet to large remote servers. They are the ultimate device for cloud computing.
Unlike a desktop or laptop computer, all of the programs and all of the data files are stored in the cloud. If you should loose your computer or it gets damaged, all of your documents, pictures, videos and music are still available since those files were never actually stored in your machine.
Tasks that once required Windows or Mac operating systems and various programs like Microsoft Office, now can be done using the software available free on the Google web site. Just like your data files, the programs are never really resident in your machine.
The major drawback of using a Chromebook comes if you should loose access to the Internet. Without that connection the Chromebook is nothing more than a three pound paper weight. It can do nothing. You can’t write a paper, look at pictures or play videos.
The folks at Google are betting that since most of us are already doing much of our computing on the Internet, these machines will prove to be more than adequate for the majority of regular users. They point out that most people use their computer to access email, search for information on Google or Wikipedia or watch videos on YouTube or Hulu. These and other similar tasks can be done very well on the Chromebook.
Chromebooks connect to the Internet using wifi or the various 3G or 4G networks. The first of the Chromebooks are being made by Acer and Samsung in partnership with Google. The price is about $500 but the prices should fall quickly as more manufacturers bring versions to market. At this writing they are only available at Best Buy or Amazon.com.
Monday, June 20, 2011
Party to Mostly Cloudy
The recent announcement by Apple confirms that our computing future will soon go from partly to mostly cloudy. For more than a year now I have been discussing in this column the “cloud” and how it is changing the way we keep and use our digital stuff. If you missed earlier columns, cloud computing refers to storing our data, i.e. documents, photos, videos, music, all our digital stuff, on large servers in some remote location and connecting our computer, phone, iPad or other device via the Internet. Before the cloud, all of this stuff was stored in our devices.
There are many benefits to using the cloud. Since the remote servers are operated by large tech-savvy companies, they provide a level of back up well beyond what most of us have. Even if we do have the capability to back up our files, many of us just forget or put it off to tomorrow often with dire consequences. The cloud servers handle all of that for us.
Another benefit is that all of our materials are always available. Before the cloud, if I had a song on my MP3 player and wanted to play it on my laptop, the song needed to be stored on both devices. With the cloud, the song is available to any of my devices.
There is one aspect of the cloud that needs to be emphasized. You must be connected. You must have an Internet connection, either hard wired or wireless, to access your information. That being the case, important information that you may need in an emergency should be stored locally on a regular storage device as well. That way, if you do not have an Internet connection, that information is still available.
Apple is taking the cloud to new heights (sorry, I couldn’t resist) by essentially making the cloud invisible. In previous iterations of cloud computing, you needed to actively decide where you wanted your files to be stored. Apple is simplifying this process by developing applications that automatically store all files on the cloud. When you turn on your iPad or iPod or iPhone, the device knows that your stuff is on the cloud. When you create a document or take a picture or record a video, that material is stored there automatically. You don’t have to remember where you put it and you don’t have to “synch” your devices. They do it automatically. So that picture you took on your iPhone can be viewed on your laptop or iPod.
Apple’s endorsement and, more important, their skill at making the user experience intuitive and easy will advance the cloud concept. It will soon go from a novelty to the standard for storing and accessing all our digital stuff.
There are many benefits to using the cloud. Since the remote servers are operated by large tech-savvy companies, they provide a level of back up well beyond what most of us have. Even if we do have the capability to back up our files, many of us just forget or put it off to tomorrow often with dire consequences. The cloud servers handle all of that for us.
Another benefit is that all of our materials are always available. Before the cloud, if I had a song on my MP3 player and wanted to play it on my laptop, the song needed to be stored on both devices. With the cloud, the song is available to any of my devices.
There is one aspect of the cloud that needs to be emphasized. You must be connected. You must have an Internet connection, either hard wired or wireless, to access your information. That being the case, important information that you may need in an emergency should be stored locally on a regular storage device as well. That way, if you do not have an Internet connection, that information is still available.
Apple is taking the cloud to new heights (sorry, I couldn’t resist) by essentially making the cloud invisible. In previous iterations of cloud computing, you needed to actively decide where you wanted your files to be stored. Apple is simplifying this process by developing applications that automatically store all files on the cloud. When you turn on your iPad or iPod or iPhone, the device knows that your stuff is on the cloud. When you create a document or take a picture or record a video, that material is stored there automatically. You don’t have to remember where you put it and you don’t have to “synch” your devices. They do it automatically. So that picture you took on your iPhone can be viewed on your laptop or iPod.
Apple’s endorsement and, more important, their skill at making the user experience intuitive and easy will advance the cloud concept. It will soon go from a novelty to the standard for storing and accessing all our digital stuff.
Monday, June 13, 2011
No iPad for me yet!
I have been getting a lot of questions recently about the iPad. For those who may be living under a rock, by circumstance or by choice, the iPad is a product from Apple that is part computer, part smart phone, part eReader, part photo album, part TV set, part music player and perhaps one of the finest products to hit the consumer electronics market ever. It is embraced by the “technoratti” and novice alike. You will find them in the hands of teenagers and their grandparents.
While I do not own one, several of my friends and colleagues do and I have had the opportunity to see first hand that the iPad is a fantastic device. The interface (that is geek-speak for the controls) is a thing of beauty and very intuitive as is the case with most all Apple products. Even someone who has never turned on a computer will find that they can easily use the iPad with little or no instruction.
So why don’t I have one? The short answer is that I am bull headed and refuse to give in to Steve Jobs and his quest to force the “Apple Way” on the world. For those who have been around a while you might remember that in 1998 it was Jobs that built a computer without a floppy disk drive. For sure he was ahead of many others at the time. Some would call that innovative. But not having a floppy forced anyone buying the computer to do things Steve’s way or go out and get a non Apple approved disk drive so they could easily save and share files until the rest of the world jettisoned the floppy technology.
Skip ahead 13 years. The iPad with all its fantastic features cannot play video in the Adobe Flash format. For those who may not know, Adobe Flash formatted video is perhaps the most universal format in the world. According to Jobs, the Flash format is old, uses too many bits and bytes and as such the iPad does not accommodate Flash video. So if you have an iPad you are disenfranchised watching millions of videos because Steve doesn’t like Adobe Flash.
I know some people who bought an iPad and have learned on the Internet to “jail break” the device. This allows programs and features not approved by Apple to run on the device. Unlike Google's Android app store, Apple's iTunes App Store is tightly controlled offering only "approved" applications. But for “jail breakers” there are more applications immediately available, allowing greater control and freedom over the hardware purchased and own. Of course by installing the software you will void the iPad warranty and support.
OK, I’ve vented. I am sure that it will not be too long until I go to the Apple Store and pledge my allegiance to Steve. I may even pick up an iPhone.
While I do not own one, several of my friends and colleagues do and I have had the opportunity to see first hand that the iPad is a fantastic device. The interface (that is geek-speak for the controls) is a thing of beauty and very intuitive as is the case with most all Apple products. Even someone who has never turned on a computer will find that they can easily use the iPad with little or no instruction.
So why don’t I have one? The short answer is that I am bull headed and refuse to give in to Steve Jobs and his quest to force the “Apple Way” on the world. For those who have been around a while you might remember that in 1998 it was Jobs that built a computer without a floppy disk drive. For sure he was ahead of many others at the time. Some would call that innovative. But not having a floppy forced anyone buying the computer to do things Steve’s way or go out and get a non Apple approved disk drive so they could easily save and share files until the rest of the world jettisoned the floppy technology.
Skip ahead 13 years. The iPad with all its fantastic features cannot play video in the Adobe Flash format. For those who may not know, Adobe Flash formatted video is perhaps the most universal format in the world. According to Jobs, the Flash format is old, uses too many bits and bytes and as such the iPad does not accommodate Flash video. So if you have an iPad you are disenfranchised watching millions of videos because Steve doesn’t like Adobe Flash.
I know some people who bought an iPad and have learned on the Internet to “jail break” the device. This allows programs and features not approved by Apple to run on the device. Unlike Google's Android app store, Apple's iTunes App Store is tightly controlled offering only "approved" applications. But for “jail breakers” there are more applications immediately available, allowing greater control and freedom over the hardware purchased and own. Of course by installing the software you will void the iPad warranty and support.
OK, I’ve vented. I am sure that it will not be too long until I go to the Apple Store and pledge my allegiance to Steve. I may even pick up an iPhone.
Monday, June 6, 2011
The best laid schemes of mice and men
A few weeks ago I wrote about my installation of a back up generator for our house. I thought I would give you an update on the project as it shows that things don’t always go as smoothly as we would like with all things technical.
If you didn’t read the earlier column, here is a summary. With all the wet weather this spring I was getting increasingly concerned that we may have an extended power failure and electrical power for my two sump pumps would be interrupted. Since they were running almost constantly this spring, such a failure would certainly result in a few inches of water in our basement. I decided to install a small generator to handle the sump pumps, some lights and the fridge. All went well. I got it installed, wired and tested. You will remember that I joked about it being “cheap insurance” since we would now never need it since we had it available.
I should have been tipped off that all would not go as planned on a day in early May when I went to work. It was bright and sunny. That alone should have been a cause of concern as this was certainly not the normal for our spring. While at work in downtown Cincinnati we lost all power to the building and the emergency generator there kicked on as designed but because of a problem in one of the circuits we still were without power to some of the critical equipment. That was an omen of things to come that evening.
In the early evening we were pummeled with a big storm and the winds downed some power lines in our neighborhood. Here was my big chance. I was ready. We started the generator, plugged in a few lights, lap top and a small TV. We were set. We were back on the grid. Mother Nature didn’t get the best of us.
My smugness was short lived as the generator sputtered and stopped. All was dark, no Steve Raleigh providing blow by blow storm reports (pardon the pun) on the TV, no computer and no lights. Only wet darkness. Well, that evening ended up being anything but ordinary as I had to restart the generator several times. Wet and muddy from going in and out of the house I finally gave up and, since the sumps were not filling rapidly, we went to bed waiting for morning light and hoping for Duke’s reconnection.
The next morning still “Dukeless,” the sumps were filled. I started the generator again just to pump out the water. Later that day power was restored. Subsequently I found I had a vapor lock on the fuel system that has now been fixed. I’ll find out for sure the next time. My pride may preclude any further discussion of this project.
If you didn’t read the earlier column, here is a summary. With all the wet weather this spring I was getting increasingly concerned that we may have an extended power failure and electrical power for my two sump pumps would be interrupted. Since they were running almost constantly this spring, such a failure would certainly result in a few inches of water in our basement. I decided to install a small generator to handle the sump pumps, some lights and the fridge. All went well. I got it installed, wired and tested. You will remember that I joked about it being “cheap insurance” since we would now never need it since we had it available.
I should have been tipped off that all would not go as planned on a day in early May when I went to work. It was bright and sunny. That alone should have been a cause of concern as this was certainly not the normal for our spring. While at work in downtown Cincinnati we lost all power to the building and the emergency generator there kicked on as designed but because of a problem in one of the circuits we still were without power to some of the critical equipment. That was an omen of things to come that evening.
In the early evening we were pummeled with a big storm and the winds downed some power lines in our neighborhood. Here was my big chance. I was ready. We started the generator, plugged in a few lights, lap top and a small TV. We were set. We were back on the grid. Mother Nature didn’t get the best of us.
My smugness was short lived as the generator sputtered and stopped. All was dark, no Steve Raleigh providing blow by blow storm reports (pardon the pun) on the TV, no computer and no lights. Only wet darkness. Well, that evening ended up being anything but ordinary as I had to restart the generator several times. Wet and muddy from going in and out of the house I finally gave up and, since the sumps were not filling rapidly, we went to bed waiting for morning light and hoping for Duke’s reconnection.
The next morning still “Dukeless,” the sumps were filled. I started the generator again just to pump out the water. Later that day power was restored. Subsequently I found I had a vapor lock on the fuel system that has now been fixed. I’ll find out for sure the next time. My pride may preclude any further discussion of this project.
Monday, May 30, 2011
FCC Reports US Lags Online
For most of the past year the Federal Communications Commission has discussed our country’s lagging online infrastructure. According to a 2009 broadband survey (the most recent data available to the FCC), the United States ranked ninth in broadband access out of the 29 member countries of the Organization for Economic Cooperation on a per capita basis. That same study showed that the US ranks 12th in terms of the pure percentage of households having broadband Internet access. This places us well behind the UK, South Korea, Iceland, and the Netherlands.
When you look closer you find that even those of us with high speed or broadband access have speeds that are very slow when compared to other countries. Olympia, Washington has our nation’s highest average download speeds of about 21 Mbps. I just checked my speed and find that right now my lap top on the kitchen table has about 4.5 Mbps. Paris and Berlin average about 35.8 Mbps. We have a long way to go.
High on the FCC’s priority list is wireless broadband access. Here again we trail other developed countries in wireless broadband adoption, ranking ninth, behind the likes of Ireland, Australia and Sweden. With many of us purchasing smart phones, iPads and other tablet computers, the wireless speed lag may get worse before it gets better.
Hard wired broadband access is admittedly more of a problem in a country the size of the United States. Unlike South Korea which would almost fit into the borders of Indiana, the US must span great distances with copper or fiber networks. A high rise apartment building in Seoul may well have more people than many small towns in the US. Delivering Internet floor by floor is easy compared to running circuits to homes spread out over several square miles.
The wireless challenge is even more difficult. Wireless internet beamed to your smart phone requires the use of radio waves and we are running out of space in the radio spectrum. These hand held devices can’t use just any old radio frequency. They must use frequencies that can penetrate walls of office buildings or be received in a moving car or train. Oh yes, we consumers don’t like to have those pesky little antennas protruding from our svelte iPhone. Can you hear me now?
The FCC is looking for frequencies that can be repurposed. One of the targets may be broadcast TV stations. The frequencies used by digital TV transmission use, for the most part, the UHF band. Discussion is taking place that may again change the over-the-air TV broadcast system in the US. This is only one option; there are a few others that might free up some spectrum space but as Scotty often responded to Captain Kirk, “I cannot change the laws of physics!”
When you look closer you find that even those of us with high speed or broadband access have speeds that are very slow when compared to other countries. Olympia, Washington has our nation’s highest average download speeds of about 21 Mbps. I just checked my speed and find that right now my lap top on the kitchen table has about 4.5 Mbps. Paris and Berlin average about 35.8 Mbps. We have a long way to go.
High on the FCC’s priority list is wireless broadband access. Here again we trail other developed countries in wireless broadband adoption, ranking ninth, behind the likes of Ireland, Australia and Sweden. With many of us purchasing smart phones, iPads and other tablet computers, the wireless speed lag may get worse before it gets better.
Hard wired broadband access is admittedly more of a problem in a country the size of the United States. Unlike South Korea which would almost fit into the borders of Indiana, the US must span great distances with copper or fiber networks. A high rise apartment building in Seoul may well have more people than many small towns in the US. Delivering Internet floor by floor is easy compared to running circuits to homes spread out over several square miles.
The wireless challenge is even more difficult. Wireless internet beamed to your smart phone requires the use of radio waves and we are running out of space in the radio spectrum. These hand held devices can’t use just any old radio frequency. They must use frequencies that can penetrate walls of office buildings or be received in a moving car or train. Oh yes, we consumers don’t like to have those pesky little antennas protruding from our svelte iPhone. Can you hear me now?
The FCC is looking for frequencies that can be repurposed. One of the targets may be broadcast TV stations. The frequencies used by digital TV transmission use, for the most part, the UHF band. Discussion is taking place that may again change the over-the-air TV broadcast system in the US. This is only one option; there are a few others that might free up some spectrum space but as Scotty often responded to Captain Kirk, “I cannot change the laws of physics!”
Sunday, May 22, 2011
The Internet Can Provide Rose Colored Glasses
For an increasing number of us, the Internet is becoming our window on the world. Gone are the days when the nightly TV news or the morning newspaper served as our source of what is happening around town or around the world. It is not only late breaking news events that beckon us to our computer screens, iPads and smart phones. We look for recipes for chicken, instructions on fixing a faucet and the current weather forecast for the weekend getaway. In short, the Internet and search engines like Google and Bing have become our trusted advisor, our news source, and in so doing have gathered more information about us than perhaps any person in our life.
For many of us who use online retailers like Amazon.com, having suggestions for items that we might like to buy when we sign on to the service is nothing new. When you are first presented with these suggestions it is kind of cool. It makes the online experience feel like talking to an old friend who knows your likes and dislikes, your interests and avocations. It is comfortable.
There has been much discussion of late about this phenomenon. In his recently published book "The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding From You," Eli Pariser, details what companies are doing online to personalize your Internet experience. For sure this personalization is helpful when looking for some music or a new book to read. It can have some negative impacts if it also filters what you see and hear as news.
In order to be an informed citizen and make good knowledgeable choices in the voting booth, it is necessary that we get all points of view. If our Internet experience is filtering what we see and hear based on our current political bent we can be come insular to what is really happening in the world. This can happen on both sides of the political spectrum. If we only log on to Fox.com our perception of the world will reflect that point of view. Those who only reference only MSNBC.com will be equally under-informed.
Pariser suggests that there is a simple test you can do that demonstrates how your search results may be filtered based on what the search engine “thinks” you want to see. Do a search on some news item or person. Search for Barack Obama or Osama Bin Laden. Take note of the results and the order that they are displayed on your Bing or Google search. Now ask a friend to do the same thing. Compare the results. You might be amazed at the difference.
For sure the Internet allows you to save time and effort when you are shopping by giving you selections for what you are most interested in based on what you have purchased before. A suggestion for a new restaurant based on where you have gone in the past can be very helpful. When it comes to keeping up on local or national news and issues, there may be things that you might not want to know but need to know. There may be things you are missing. According to Pariser, instead of doing what great media does, which is push us out of our comfort zone at times and show us things that we wouldn't expect to like or wouldn't expect to want to see, some online services are showing us a very narrowly constructed zone of what they think is most relevant to us.
For many of us who use online retailers like Amazon.com, having suggestions for items that we might like to buy when we sign on to the service is nothing new. When you are first presented with these suggestions it is kind of cool. It makes the online experience feel like talking to an old friend who knows your likes and dislikes, your interests and avocations. It is comfortable.
There has been much discussion of late about this phenomenon. In his recently published book "The Filter Bubble: What the Internet is Hiding From You," Eli Pariser, details what companies are doing online to personalize your Internet experience. For sure this personalization is helpful when looking for some music or a new book to read. It can have some negative impacts if it also filters what you see and hear as news.
In order to be an informed citizen and make good knowledgeable choices in the voting booth, it is necessary that we get all points of view. If our Internet experience is filtering what we see and hear based on our current political bent we can be come insular to what is really happening in the world. This can happen on both sides of the political spectrum. If we only log on to Fox.com our perception of the world will reflect that point of view. Those who only reference only MSNBC.com will be equally under-informed.
Pariser suggests that there is a simple test you can do that demonstrates how your search results may be filtered based on what the search engine “thinks” you want to see. Do a search on some news item or person. Search for Barack Obama or Osama Bin Laden. Take note of the results and the order that they are displayed on your Bing or Google search. Now ask a friend to do the same thing. Compare the results. You might be amazed at the difference.
For sure the Internet allows you to save time and effort when you are shopping by giving you selections for what you are most interested in based on what you have purchased before. A suggestion for a new restaurant based on where you have gone in the past can be very helpful. When it comes to keeping up on local or national news and issues, there may be things that you might not want to know but need to know. There may be things you are missing. According to Pariser, instead of doing what great media does, which is push us out of our comfort zone at times and show us things that we wouldn't expect to like or wouldn't expect to want to see, some online services are showing us a very narrowly constructed zone of what they think is most relevant to us.
Sunday, May 15, 2011
Cheap Insurance
The tri-state monsoon season was the source of real anxiety for me. It was not only the incessant gray sky or the water levels in my front yard measured in feet that made me uneasy. I was really concerned that I could hear the two sump pumps in my basement cycling on almost every five or ten minutes. They were doing their job and our basement was as dry as the Sahara. My concern centered on the frequent power outages that we experience and how long would it take for the water level to rise if the pumps lost power. Since spring is also a time for storms and wind, I figured that it was only matter of time until Duke’s lines would fail.
Other than moving to Arizona, there are other solutions to my dilemma. There are battery powered sump pumps available. And there is always the bucket method of emptying the sump. The first is expensive and the second messy. I decided that I would solve the problem with the installation of a small back up generator. I had been thinking about this for years every time the lights fail, which if you have lived in my neighborhood you know is quite often. I remember in January that I found my self reading from my Kindle using a kerosene lamp. Abe Lincoln has nothing on me.
You can purchase large systems that will power your entire home in the event of a power outage. They cycle on automatically and can handle all of the appliances in your house including the furnace and AC. These must be installed by a qualified professional and are very expensive. I did not want to spend a lot of money; I wanted only to have enough power to handle the sump pumps, our fridge and some lights and perhaps TV.
I found a small gasoline generator at a local store. I placed it in a space outside under my deck away from all windows so that the sound of the engine or more important, the carbon monoxide, would not enter the house. Rather than wiring the generator into the existing wiring in my house which requires expensive switching gear, I ran some dedicated lines to specific areas of my house so I could easily plug in certain devices when the regular power failed. In essence I have a separate electrical system, albeit with much less capacity but enough for our needs.
In order to figure out what size generator you need, you must add up all the wattage required by the devices that will be connected to it. This is basic arithmetic. Be sure that you remember that devices with motors like sump pumps and refrigerators need extra wattage when they cycle on so you have to make sure that you factor that “surge” requirement into the required capacity. Generators usually have two ratings. One for continuous output and one for “surge” peaks. Once you come up with a number, add 15% to cover what you forgot or will add later.
This solution is not for everyone, but if you are handy and just want to have some lights, a cold drink and a dry basement when the power fails, you might want to consider it. It cost us about $300 for the entire installation. According to my wife, that is cheap insurance.
Other than moving to Arizona, there are other solutions to my dilemma. There are battery powered sump pumps available. And there is always the bucket method of emptying the sump. The first is expensive and the second messy. I decided that I would solve the problem with the installation of a small back up generator. I had been thinking about this for years every time the lights fail, which if you have lived in my neighborhood you know is quite often. I remember in January that I found my self reading from my Kindle using a kerosene lamp. Abe Lincoln has nothing on me.
You can purchase large systems that will power your entire home in the event of a power outage. They cycle on automatically and can handle all of the appliances in your house including the furnace and AC. These must be installed by a qualified professional and are very expensive. I did not want to spend a lot of money; I wanted only to have enough power to handle the sump pumps, our fridge and some lights and perhaps TV.
I found a small gasoline generator at a local store. I placed it in a space outside under my deck away from all windows so that the sound of the engine or more important, the carbon monoxide, would not enter the house. Rather than wiring the generator into the existing wiring in my house which requires expensive switching gear, I ran some dedicated lines to specific areas of my house so I could easily plug in certain devices when the regular power failed. In essence I have a separate electrical system, albeit with much less capacity but enough for our needs.
In order to figure out what size generator you need, you must add up all the wattage required by the devices that will be connected to it. This is basic arithmetic. Be sure that you remember that devices with motors like sump pumps and refrigerators need extra wattage when they cycle on so you have to make sure that you factor that “surge” requirement into the required capacity. Generators usually have two ratings. One for continuous output and one for “surge” peaks. Once you come up with a number, add 15% to cover what you forgot or will add later.
This solution is not for everyone, but if you are handy and just want to have some lights, a cold drink and a dry basement when the power fails, you might want to consider it. It cost us about $300 for the entire installation. According to my wife, that is cheap insurance.
Monday, May 9, 2011
Cutting Ma Bell's Apron Strings
As more and more of us are using our mobile phones not only for business and emergencies but for most all of our calling, many are questioning whether they also really need a land line from the phone company. Everyday, people are disconnecting the land lines to both save money and to simplify getting in touch with friends and family. After all, how many phone numbers and voice mail boxes do we really need?
If you are among those considering severing your tether to Ma Bell’s apron strings there are some great devices that will make it easier and convenient when you are at home or at the office.
Several companies offer devices that serve as a docking/charging station for your cell phone and allow all of the phones now connected to the regular phone company lines in your home to use the cell phone connection instead. When you come home for the evening you connect the cell phone to the docking station and when you receive a call or wish to place a call you use any of the hard wired or cordless phones already in your house. Your calls are routed through your cell phone telephone number.
There are several different versions offered by companies like Panasonic, Sony and AT&T. Some require an iPhone but most will accommodate any phone that has Bluetooth connectivity. They are priced from about $75 to as much as several hundred dollars.
Over and above convenience, there are other advantages to using the cell line for your regular line. Many mobile phone plans offer free long distance and special free “family” calling discounts. Also, I find that for long calls a standard telephone handset is more comfortable to use than the cigarette-size smartphone.
Most of these systems are not capable of sending or receiving faxes, so if you have a home office you may wish to keep a land line as well. Some of the devices, like models from Panasonic, allow you to have two lines connected: one cell phone line and one regular land line. You can choose what line to use.
Some more words of caution. If you decide to cut the cord, your calls to 911 may not allow the dispatcher to pin point your location so be sure to tell them the exact address when you call. Since you will be using your mobile phone more make certain you’re your mobile service plan allows for the extra minutes. Most plans offer “free evenings and weekends” and since that is when you are most likely to be home it shouldn’t be problem.
If you are among those considering severing your tether to Ma Bell’s apron strings there are some great devices that will make it easier and convenient when you are at home or at the office.
Several companies offer devices that serve as a docking/charging station for your cell phone and allow all of the phones now connected to the regular phone company lines in your home to use the cell phone connection instead. When you come home for the evening you connect the cell phone to the docking station and when you receive a call or wish to place a call you use any of the hard wired or cordless phones already in your house. Your calls are routed through your cell phone telephone number.
There are several different versions offered by companies like Panasonic, Sony and AT&T. Some require an iPhone but most will accommodate any phone that has Bluetooth connectivity. They are priced from about $75 to as much as several hundred dollars.
Over and above convenience, there are other advantages to using the cell line for your regular line. Many mobile phone plans offer free long distance and special free “family” calling discounts. Also, I find that for long calls a standard telephone handset is more comfortable to use than the cigarette-size smartphone.
Most of these systems are not capable of sending or receiving faxes, so if you have a home office you may wish to keep a land line as well. Some of the devices, like models from Panasonic, allow you to have two lines connected: one cell phone line and one regular land line. You can choose what line to use.
Some more words of caution. If you decide to cut the cord, your calls to 911 may not allow the dispatcher to pin point your location so be sure to tell them the exact address when you call. Since you will be using your mobile phone more make certain you’re your mobile service plan allows for the extra minutes. Most plans offer “free evenings and weekends” and since that is when you are most likely to be home it shouldn’t be problem.
Monday, May 2, 2011
George Jetson Would Be Proud
This spring season has been a real pain in the grass for many of us trying to keep our lawns from looking like ponds filled with swamp grass. Hardly two days pass without torrential downpours making cutting the grass almost impossible. The grass is green and tall and wet and defies our attempts at keeping it trimmed. So it was with more than passing interest I came across two new high tech offerings that could help address this challenge. In the name of full disclosure, I have to say that I have not tried either, and in light of the high price, most likely will not. Nevertheless, both have a high cool factor and used together would certainly identify the user as very high tech.
Following in the steps of the Roomba, the robotic home vacuum cleaner that is featured extensively on late night TV, the folks at Husqvarna USA are offering the Automower® solar Hybrid, a fully automatic lawn mower that is powered by the sun and rechargeable batteries. The mower finds its way around your yard unattended, cutting the grass as it travels.
According to company press releases, the product uses considerably less energy than any conventional mower. That's because, in addition to a charging station, it comes with a large integrated solar panel. When there is daylight available, the solar cells enable the mower to extend its cutting periods before it needs recharging. The company suggests that the mower is for lawns up to 1/2 acre.
Once you have the robotic mower you instruct it to get to work with the second product, an iPhone app that allows you to communicate with the mower. It can begin cutting your lawn even if you are away from home. So rather than speeding up I-74 from work to get the grass cut before the next downpour, you just send a text message to the mower. With any luck the text message to the mover will get better results than one sent to any teen who might be tasked with cutting your grass.
These digital marvels don’t come cheap. The mower will run you about $3000 and does require some set up so it can cut your grass and spare the shrubs and the flowers. Again, I have not used either of these products so I can’t vouch for how well they work, but you have to admit they do put you in mind of what George Jetson would have used if he didn’t live in the Skypad Apartments in Orbit City. Perhaps his super used one.
Following in the steps of the Roomba, the robotic home vacuum cleaner that is featured extensively on late night TV, the folks at Husqvarna USA are offering the Automower® solar Hybrid, a fully automatic lawn mower that is powered by the sun and rechargeable batteries. The mower finds its way around your yard unattended, cutting the grass as it travels.
According to company press releases, the product uses considerably less energy than any conventional mower. That's because, in addition to a charging station, it comes with a large integrated solar panel. When there is daylight available, the solar cells enable the mower to extend its cutting periods before it needs recharging. The company suggests that the mower is for lawns up to 1/2 acre.
Once you have the robotic mower you instruct it to get to work with the second product, an iPhone app that allows you to communicate with the mower. It can begin cutting your lawn even if you are away from home. So rather than speeding up I-74 from work to get the grass cut before the next downpour, you just send a text message to the mower. With any luck the text message to the mover will get better results than one sent to any teen who might be tasked with cutting your grass.
These digital marvels don’t come cheap. The mower will run you about $3000 and does require some set up so it can cut your grass and spare the shrubs and the flowers. Again, I have not used either of these products so I can’t vouch for how well they work, but you have to admit they do put you in mind of what George Jetson would have used if he didn’t live in the Skypad Apartments in Orbit City. Perhaps his super used one.
Monday, April 25, 2011
I Am Still Scratching My Head...
What do you do if you have a consumer electronics product that is universally considered to be the best in its category? It is a product that is selling exceptionally well and has some new and innovative improvements ready to be announced. Most companies, especially in these less than robust economic times, would be happy and continue to take the cash from the brisk sales to the bank. If you are Cisco, the giant computer networking products company, you discontinue the product line. That’s right; Cisco announced that the Flip video camera will no longer be manufactured.
If you are a regular follower of my column you know that from the time the Flip was released a few years ago I have been a big cheerleader for the simplicity and utility of this cigarette pack sized video camera. After reviewing the statements from the Cisco suits, I remain convinced that for the vast majority of consumers, the Flip is still the best small video camera available, albeit only for a few more months.
There have been several competitors surface in this product category, but all of them seem to fail to understand why the Flip was such a great product. Companies like Kodak, Sony, Toshiba and others retained Flip’s small size but their engineers and designers could not resist adding more features. While the Flip essentially has one button, the competitors added other features that get in the way of the point and shoot simplicity of the Flip.
Cisco, in the announcement of the cancellation of the Flip, related that it was no longer a viable product because mobile phones had added video recording capability. That may be true but a simple test proved to me that they were misinformed about the practicality of using phones to capture spur of the moment events.
I have a smart phone that has video recording capability. If I want to make a video recording I have to go through six steps, all of them embedded in on-screen menus before I am actually recording. With the Flip there are two steps. I turn it on and press the red button.
Some would accuse me of being a modern day Luddite but I am not a big supporter of the Swiss Army knife approach to all things electronic. Adding features adds complexity and often gets in the way of ease of use. In a car you should not need to look at an on- screen menu to turn on the windshield wipers or heater. The remote control for your TV should not have more buttons that the space shuttle. Guess I am showing my age.
If you are a regular follower of my column you know that from the time the Flip was released a few years ago I have been a big cheerleader for the simplicity and utility of this cigarette pack sized video camera. After reviewing the statements from the Cisco suits, I remain convinced that for the vast majority of consumers, the Flip is still the best small video camera available, albeit only for a few more months.
There have been several competitors surface in this product category, but all of them seem to fail to understand why the Flip was such a great product. Companies like Kodak, Sony, Toshiba and others retained Flip’s small size but their engineers and designers could not resist adding more features. While the Flip essentially has one button, the competitors added other features that get in the way of the point and shoot simplicity of the Flip.
Cisco, in the announcement of the cancellation of the Flip, related that it was no longer a viable product because mobile phones had added video recording capability. That may be true but a simple test proved to me that they were misinformed about the practicality of using phones to capture spur of the moment events.
I have a smart phone that has video recording capability. If I want to make a video recording I have to go through six steps, all of them embedded in on-screen menus before I am actually recording. With the Flip there are two steps. I turn it on and press the red button.
Some would accuse me of being a modern day Luddite but I am not a big supporter of the Swiss Army knife approach to all things electronic. Adding features adds complexity and often gets in the way of ease of use. In a car you should not need to look at an on- screen menu to turn on the windshield wipers or heater. The remote control for your TV should not have more buttons that the space shuttle. Guess I am showing my age.
Sunday, April 17, 2011
When Is a TV Not a TV?
Late last month you may have received information from Time Warner Cable about a new service being offered to area subscribers. The service allows individuals who have an Apple iPad to watch some TV programs carried on the Time Warner system. The company and other cable TV companies around the country are offering a new App that uses your iPad and home wifi to connect with your cable. Once connected, the iPad serves as a portable TV and can be used anywhere in the house without wires or other special connections.
The service was praised by many media pundits who applauded the seamless merger of the computer and the TV. This convergence has been the “holy grail” of proponents of bringing the Internet and traditional TV to a variety of screens large and small, fixed and portable. iPad users too were happy to get a free app that made watching TV more convenient.
Not everyone was so happy. Faster than it took to download the new App several program service providers were yelling foul. Several cable networks like Discovery, Fox and Viacom argued that their programming was licensed to Time Warner for distribution to TV sets not streamed to computers. They demanded that Time Warner remove their programming from the list of offerings for iPad viewing.
Welcome to the new TV landscape where ultimately the definition of a TV set will be a critical factor in your ability to watch your favorite shows. As you may expect the brouhaha centers around money. The program distributors are concerned that if viewers watch their programming on any device other than a traditional TV they will not be counted in the Nielsen surveys and as such the advertising revenue may suffer. Nielsen has been struggling to compile reliable information about TV viewing as more and more of us are using computers, smart phones and other digital devices to view TV programs. The proliferation of non traditional non real time viewing has begun to fragment audiences and the future only promises to further change viewing patterns.
TV Program producers are scrambling to keep from repeating the revolution experienced by music producers and distributors. They wish to hold on to their business as usual lucrative industry. My bet is that they are swimming against the tide and just as online music distribution has made CDs as out of date as rotary phones, the blurring of the differences between the computer screen and TV screen will make the traditional TV programming business a much different enterprise moving toward a pay per view model from the current advertising supported industry.
The service was praised by many media pundits who applauded the seamless merger of the computer and the TV. This convergence has been the “holy grail” of proponents of bringing the Internet and traditional TV to a variety of screens large and small, fixed and portable. iPad users too were happy to get a free app that made watching TV more convenient.
Not everyone was so happy. Faster than it took to download the new App several program service providers were yelling foul. Several cable networks like Discovery, Fox and Viacom argued that their programming was licensed to Time Warner for distribution to TV sets not streamed to computers. They demanded that Time Warner remove their programming from the list of offerings for iPad viewing.
Welcome to the new TV landscape where ultimately the definition of a TV set will be a critical factor in your ability to watch your favorite shows. As you may expect the brouhaha centers around money. The program distributors are concerned that if viewers watch their programming on any device other than a traditional TV they will not be counted in the Nielsen surveys and as such the advertising revenue may suffer. Nielsen has been struggling to compile reliable information about TV viewing as more and more of us are using computers, smart phones and other digital devices to view TV programs. The proliferation of non traditional non real time viewing has begun to fragment audiences and the future only promises to further change viewing patterns.
TV Program producers are scrambling to keep from repeating the revolution experienced by music producers and distributors. They wish to hold on to their business as usual lucrative industry. My bet is that they are swimming against the tide and just as online music distribution has made CDs as out of date as rotary phones, the blurring of the differences between the computer screen and TV screen will make the traditional TV programming business a much different enterprise moving toward a pay per view model from the current advertising supported industry.
Sunday, April 10, 2011
Faster Not Always Better
Social networking and instantaneous and continuous news reporting have become so much a part of the landscape that even the most insignificant and trivial happenings get reported worldwide as important breaking news. Be it the police chasing a DUI driver on a Hollywood freeway or a robbery of a McDonalds in Fargo, we see it live on TV and on the Internet. For sure there are important news items that we need to know in a timely manner, but the ease of worldwide instantaneous distribution has provided proof that the old adage “Engage Brain Before Opening Mouth.” is truer now than ever before.
In the past since, there was a delay from the time a story came to light and the time it was reported on air or in print, there was most often sufficient time for getting the facts. Today because of the ravenous appetite of the 24/7 news services there is pressure to release a story as quickly as possible and fill in the details later.
Just recently there was a news report circulating on the Internet that Samsung, a major electronics manufacturer, was installing on their new line of laptop computers a software program that captured and transmitted back to Samsung all of the keystrokes made on that machine by the user. This type of software has been used by hackers to gather personal information from unsuspecting users. The nefarious software usually gets into a computer that has weak or non existent virus protection. For Samsung to have been accused of installing this software in the computers they were manufacturing and selling was really news. It was really bad news for Samsung as spying on customers could be devastating and not really conducive for increasing sales or improving a corporate image.
This report made the rounds on the Internet and was picked up by many individuals and forwarded in tweets and Facebook postings. As the saying goes, “It went viral.” All of this took only minutes to circulate. Within hours Samsung released an explanation that the company had not installed this spyware and that it was a very popular virus scanning program from GFI, a company with no affiliation with Samsung, that was indicating a “false positive” warning. GFI admitted this error in short order.
In the past this story would have never been released in the first place as the explanation would have been available before the newspaper article was printed or the TV and Radio news report produced. Not so in the Internet age.
In the past since, there was a delay from the time a story came to light and the time it was reported on air or in print, there was most often sufficient time for getting the facts. Today because of the ravenous appetite of the 24/7 news services there is pressure to release a story as quickly as possible and fill in the details later.
Just recently there was a news report circulating on the Internet that Samsung, a major electronics manufacturer, was installing on their new line of laptop computers a software program that captured and transmitted back to Samsung all of the keystrokes made on that machine by the user. This type of software has been used by hackers to gather personal information from unsuspecting users. The nefarious software usually gets into a computer that has weak or non existent virus protection. For Samsung to have been accused of installing this software in the computers they were manufacturing and selling was really news. It was really bad news for Samsung as spying on customers could be devastating and not really conducive for increasing sales or improving a corporate image.
This report made the rounds on the Internet and was picked up by many individuals and forwarded in tweets and Facebook postings. As the saying goes, “It went viral.” All of this took only minutes to circulate. Within hours Samsung released an explanation that the company had not installed this spyware and that it was a very popular virus scanning program from GFI, a company with no affiliation with Samsung, that was indicating a “false positive” warning. GFI admitted this error in short order.
In the past this story would have never been released in the first place as the explanation would have been available before the newspaper article was printed or the TV and Radio news report produced. Not so in the Internet age.
Sunday, April 3, 2011
My G is Faster Than Your G!
The battle wages on. On TV, in newspapers and magazines, and on bill boards on the interstate you can’t miss the ads touting 4G networks. If you believe all the claims by now you must feel that if you don’t have a 4G phone you are really missing out. What you are missing other than the letter at falls between “F” and “H” in our alphabet is less than clear. It might be interesting to know that the companies that tout the 4G networks really don’t know much more than you do.
Some history will help explain what all these “Gs” really mean. Back in the dark ages of mobile phones when the smallest of the available devices was briefcase-size, they used a network dubbed “1G.” The “G” stands for generation and this mobile phone network technology was the first generation. It was developed in the early 1980s and was fine for the analog devices in service at that time. It did require phones with protruding antennas.
The 1G networks were soon replaced by 2G, the first of the digital networks. With the number of mobile phone users exploding in the USA and around the world, the old analog system just could not handle the traffic. 2G systems could accommodate 50 or more simultaneous conversations on the same frequency and allowed for smaller phones with built in antennas. It was not, however, capable of efficiently handling data.
As more and more people wanted to be able to be connected while on the go, not only with voice but with email, the web, navigation services, and now social networking, the carriers like Verizon and AT&T needed a revolutionary upgrade and that resulted in the 3G network.
This brings us to the present and the 4G networks being touted by these same big carriers. The official definition of the capacities of the all the “Gs” is set by The International Telecommunication Union, the global wireless standards-setting organization. They have determined that 4G networks must be capable of download speeds of 100 megabits per second. In reality none of the carriers are achieving anything close to this speed. In most cases they provide speeds less than 50% of real 4G. For sure they have fast networks, but no cigar, no 4G.
Not to be deterred, the marketing gurus from many of carriers seem to have decided to collectively ignore the official definition and develop their own. Perhaps this is not a big issue when you are talking about bits and bytes. I do wonder what would happen if this trend carried over to BP or Shell. Could a gallon of gas be redefined by the gasoline companies as 14 ounces?
Some history will help explain what all these “Gs” really mean. Back in the dark ages of mobile phones when the smallest of the available devices was briefcase-size, they used a network dubbed “1G.” The “G” stands for generation and this mobile phone network technology was the first generation. It was developed in the early 1980s and was fine for the analog devices in service at that time. It did require phones with protruding antennas.
The 1G networks were soon replaced by 2G, the first of the digital networks. With the number of mobile phone users exploding in the USA and around the world, the old analog system just could not handle the traffic. 2G systems could accommodate 50 or more simultaneous conversations on the same frequency and allowed for smaller phones with built in antennas. It was not, however, capable of efficiently handling data.
As more and more people wanted to be able to be connected while on the go, not only with voice but with email, the web, navigation services, and now social networking, the carriers like Verizon and AT&T needed a revolutionary upgrade and that resulted in the 3G network.
This brings us to the present and the 4G networks being touted by these same big carriers. The official definition of the capacities of the all the “Gs” is set by The International Telecommunication Union, the global wireless standards-setting organization. They have determined that 4G networks must be capable of download speeds of 100 megabits per second. In reality none of the carriers are achieving anything close to this speed. In most cases they provide speeds less than 50% of real 4G. For sure they have fast networks, but no cigar, no 4G.
Not to be deterred, the marketing gurus from many of carriers seem to have decided to collectively ignore the official definition and develop their own. Perhaps this is not a big issue when you are talking about bits and bytes. I do wonder what would happen if this trend carried over to BP or Shell. Could a gallon of gas be redefined by the gasoline companies as 14 ounces?
Sunday, March 27, 2011
Meet TED
Today’s digital world offers so many choices for getting news and entertainment. Not only is there is a seemingly endless number of cable and satellite TV channels, with about 80% of all US households having access to the Internet, the web provides even more options for spending our free time. There are social media sites that many of us visit more than we should. If you are Facebooked out or can’t read one more Tweet, and are looking for some outstanding content on the web, I would like to introduce you to TED. Don’t worry. I am not sending you to a weird dating service. TED is not a guy it is a web site that features videos and discussions that will challenge your brain. TED (Technology Entertainment and Design) began in 1984 as a conference sponsored by the Sapling Foundation. The foundation’s mission is to disseminate "ideas worth spreading.” The initial conference invited the very top minds in the fields of technology, entertainment and design to share ideas, discoveries and inventions. The conferences are still held but videos of the individual presentations are now made available free on the web. Today there are more than 700 videos and the subject matter has broadened. You can find presentations on religion, psychology, astronomy, education, medicine and many other subjects. The great thing about TED is that it invites very best and brightest. Right now you can watch Jane Goodall, Bill Gates, and several Nobel laureates. All you need is a computer and access to a broadband Internet connection. Point your browser to www.ted.com The presentations are very fast paced. TED asks each presenter not to exceed 18 minutes. Some make use of videos and graphics while others stay with a standard lecture format. Each presentation is translated into several languages. There are topics and opinions that will challenge you. All of them will make you think. I have watched several and each of them has been outstanding. You will find a new presentation posted about every day and all of them are archived and searchable by topic or presenter. Two of my favorites were just posted recently. One is a 5 minute presentation by volunteer firefighter Mark Bezos. He tells a story of an act of heroism that didn't go quite as expected -- but that taught him a big lesson: Don't wait to be a hero. In five short minutes he captures the essence of what it means to give back to your community. Perhaps the most jaw dropping talk was by Surgeon Anthony Atala who demonstrated an early-stage experiment that could someday solve the organ-donor problem: a 3D printer that uses living cells to output a transplantable kidney. Using similar technology, Dr. Atala’s young patient Luke Massella received an engineered bladder 10 years ago; we meet him onstage. The next time you find that the 500 channel cable universe offers little to watch or your Twitter account less than stimulating, spend some time with Ted. It will be time well spent.
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