Connections in Technology

Backup for Outlook clients

2008-12-10T15:01:00.012-05:00

One of the saddest parts of my day is having to tell someone that their email, contacts and calendars have been lost because of a hard drive failure, operating system glitch or human error.

Each email client stores information in a different format and thus has a different mechanism for making backups of data related to them. For this demonstration, I will focus on Microsoft Outlook, version 2007 and a POP server. Some of my screenshots might not match yours exactly, but all of the Outlook clients are similar. If you are on an exchange server (in-house or hosted), your mail will reside on the server and you will not need to make a backup as described. I would, however, make sure that your mail server is being backed up on a routine basis.

First, open Outlook.

Then, I suggest a quick Send/Receive and then set your automatic Send/Receive to 60 minutes. You can reset it back later. This is under Tools | Options | Mail Setup | Send/Receive button. At the bottom of the screen, change the time to 60 or more. This will keep from doing a send/receive during a backup session.

Now what we are going to do is Export out mail, contacts, etc... to a file that we store apart from the computer. In my case, I will be storing it to a USB drive located at drive D:. Do not try and write this to a CD or DVD.

So, with Outlook Open, click on File in the upper left corner and then choose Import and Export. Click on "Export to a file" as indicated in the picture and then click Next.

This will take us to the Create Type of File Screen. Scroll down and click on Personal Folder File (.pst) and click Next.

Now, you will see a listing with the same setup as your Mail Folders layout in Outlook. Scroll up and select "Personal Folder" and then click the box that indicates "Include subfolders". Click Next.

Now we can tell it where to export the file to, in my case, D: and I will name it BackupSAP.pst. Use the Browse Button to make life easier.

When you return, your screen should look something like:

Click Finish... and you will see this screen:

Don't change anything, just click OK and wait (and wait, and wait). Eventually, you will return to the Outlook main view.

Do this as often as you don't want to lose files.

Happy Processing...

'Tis the Season - again!

2008-12-01T11:19:00.003-05:00

Black Friday! Cyber Monday! HumBug!

With the economy in flux, I thought electronics would be pushed down the priority on on the Christmas shopping list. But by the look of things at Best Buy and Circuit City last Friday, my thought was wrong. Depending on which report you read, sales were up anywhere from 1% to 3% over last year.

Today is Cyber Monday - so called because after a few days off for Thanksgiving, office workers delay getting back to the job by cyber-shopping before getting down to work. Because many households now have high speed internet access, the legend lives on, but the reality is that cyber-shopping is now spread over the next 2-3 weeks.

There are a few things on my shopping list this year that won't break the bank, but may make life a little easier.

For those of you who have the best intentions of backing up the 9,243 photographs, but just cant find the time - there is the HP SimpleSave Photo DVD-R. You must have a DVD burner (if you don't and are concerned about losing photos, go get one - NOW!). Pop one of DVD's in the drive and it will search out your photos and burn them to the DVD. The photos may not be organized, but they will be backed up. Sold as a 5 disk package for $15 bucks so don't hesitate and wait and pay me to recover your photos - go to www.hp.com now.

Another nice gadget is a cooling device for laptop computers. Lot's of you have a notebook/laptop that just sits on the desk. Pick that puppy up and feel your desk - a bit warm isn't it. It's mostly because there is no airflow under the computer where the hard drive and the battery are located. Belkin makes the Belkin F5L001 Laptop Cooling Stand ($21 at amazon.com)appears to be the reasonable one, but up the price tag to $30 and there are lots more available. Perhaps the QuadCooler from www.quadcooler.com is the way to go. So far, the Belkin is the only one that sucks air from the bottom and blows it onto the bottom of the laptop, therefore you cannot set it flat on the ground or in your lap while you are wrapped up in your fleece snuggly. Most of the others pull warm air from the base and distribute it to the outside. there are lots of these devices available. Watch for size, power source (generally a usb port), air flow and whether or not you can use them on your lap.

I get tired of trying to make all digital cameras works with with all my computers. The fix is a multi-card reader. My latest is a Digipower Platinum 32-in-1 reader with a passive USB hub. So far it has read all the cards I have tried. It is powered by the USB port on my computer(s) and works reasonably well. Drive letters tend to get a little messed up on systems attached to a domain network with mapped drives, but the added USB ports all me to plug in a flash drive for those who bring me information them.

And speaking of Flash Drives, these little babies make great stocking stuffers. As an example, Crucial.com has their Gizmo! USB drives for $34 for 8gb, $13 for 4gb, 2gb for $10 and 1gb for an embarrassing $7. Other than the Memorex brand, I have had good luck with all the ones I have (or have broken). Things to look for:
- Retractable connector is very good as is a swivel unit
- around the neck holders make you look like a geek (good or bad is your decision)
- plastic caps get lost, some units (PYN) often have replacement caps in the package
- leaving it in your front USB ports tends to be a magnet for my size 8 foot.
- U3 units can run software directly from the unit, see geek above.

In the cool, but expensive, enter Rivio (www.meetrovio.com). This mobile, wifi robot navigates your house and allows you to view what's going on. Around $300, this is a "for the geek that has everything). And no, I am not coming to your house to install.

Me personally - I'm going with the food gift idea's this year. Off to Hershey.com for a little cyber-shopping!

Fan in Mouse, Politics, Mojave & Pandora

2008-09-03T11:15:00.000-04:00

Flexii USB 2.0 Cool Fan 3D Optical Mouse
If you are like me, you have a mouse in your hand for several hours each
day. I get a little sweaty, especially in the summer months.This USB 3D
mouse is a best summer computer accessory you can buy, features a
fashionable ergonomic design, combining a cooling fan which make itself
best summer input device for long hour playing game enthusiast or regular
office user.Cost is around $20 with shipping. The fan tends to make a
little noise, but it is worth it on those hot days.

Politics the Internet Way

The internet has become the new campaign canvas for political candidates.
More specifically, Email and Twitter has become the communication medium of
choice for Mr. Obama and Mr. McCain.

You know what e-mail is.

[http://www.twitter.com] Twitter is a texting tool that allows posters and
subscribers to communicate through short (140 characters) text like
messages. You can choose to receive twitter posts by email, web browser or
instant messenger notices.On the official website of Obama, you can track
the campaign operations through Twitter, Facebook, MySpace, YouTube, Flickr
(Pictures) LinkedIn and about a dozen more. On Twitter, Mr. O has 71,420
followers. This puts him at the top of the twitter list in popularity.
(Interestingly, the number 2, 3, 6, 7, 9, & 10 slots are held by popular
bloggers in the tech field.)

The [http://www.barackobama.com/index.php] Obama campaign has worked the
Internet masterfully to not only raise millions, they’ve managed to get
millions of cell phone numbers after having promised to text his choice of
a running mate prior to the general press release. Imagine how they’ll
be able to mine those cellphone numbers, IMs, etc. Get out the vote? Fund
raising?

The [http://www.johnmccain.com/] McCain campaign? Well, you can subscribe
to an email blast about the campaign trail and upcoming activities.

For my taste, both websites are a little cluttered and difficult to locate
things and much information is repeated in several locations.

Is this going to be the make or break decision on the upcoming election.
Probably not, but among the tech savvy, the vote is going to swing the he
who exhibits the best pretense of being technical enough to guide us to the
future world.

The Mojave Campaign. Will it save Vista?

You may have seen those “I’m a Mac” television ads promoting Macs
over PC’s, Microsoft has sat on it’s laurels, I guess hoping they
would go away.

But now, Microsoft launches the “Windows, not walls” campaign,
featuring 90’s comic star, Jerry Seinfeld. Reportedly, Mr. Sienfeld will
take home $10 million for his appearances.

Microsoft recently conducted the Mojave Experiment, which asked 140 people
their opinion of Microsoft Vista. The average score was 4.5 on a 10 scale.
They were then shown the new Microsoft Mojave operating system. After
seeing the new O/S, the respondents rate the “new” system and average
score of 8.5.

You guessed it, Mojave is Vista without any identifiers. Turns out that
many of the respondents rated Vista poorly, even though they had never seen
or worked with it.

The irony of Microsoft’s new employee… Seinfeld always used a Mac in
his show.

And Finally, bye, bye Pandora.
[http://www.pandora.com] Pandora is a great online Internet radio service.

You pick the artist and they play the music by that artist and by similar
artists. For example, I selected artist John Denver and Pandora built a
radio station around the selected and similar artists. Pandora selected
Peter, Paul and Mary; Jim Croce and Bread as similar stylists to John
Denver.

As always, I stress that internet radio broadcasts and streaming media are
huge bandwidth hogs and we recommend that you be polite at work and not
take the entire internet bandwidth.But at home,

I often use Pandora for parties to set a mood. I don’t have to have all
the music since Pandora selects (very well, I might add) similar artists to
my selection.

Sadly, it’s about to go out of business thanks to the punitive royalties
that Internet radio has to pay - twice as much as the cost of royalties
that broadcast radio pays.

And yes, you can thank the Recording Industry Artist Association for that.

Pandora is not a music sharing service, it is a legal, law-abiding radio
station that happens to broadcast across the internet instead of the air
waves.

Email 101 - Part 2

2008-08-28T11:13:00.000-04:00

The E-Mail Client

Not to be confused with the book of the same name by John Grisham, nor
with one of the two parties in a Lawyer-Client relationship, this client is
software running on your computer.

For the sake of definition, let's say the an email client is any piece of
software running on your computer that allows you to read, compose and
manage email.

Note that I use the word "any" in the definition. This is because
web-based mail uses a browser (Internet Explorer, Safari, FireFox, etc...)
to perform typical client based functions. This would include AOL, GMail,
HotMail (now Live!) and Yahoo Mail. The advantage of the web-based mail is
that is available anytime, anywhere you have an internet connection. The
downside is that organization functions for mail is somewhat limited in
these services and the user is subject to the software engineers choice of
user interface changes. Just when I started liking my Yahoo! mail, the
interface changed so I had to learn the new layout.

Ask most people what they use to read their email, and they will respond
"Outlook" which may or may not be the correct answer.

Microsoft provides Outlook Express as part of the Win98-WinXP operating
systems and Vista Mail in MS Vista. Outlook is part of most of the
Microsoft Office Products, the exception being the Academic version, which
dropped Outlook with version 2007.

Apple supplies Mail.app (aka, Apple Mail) as part of the Mac OS X
operating system. Mail.app supports the standard SMTP, POP and IMAP mail
standards.

Outlook Express (OE) & Vista Mail (VM) are pretty good down and dirty
email clients and have some level of address management built in. The full
Outlook adds integrated Contacts, Calendaring and Tasks.

But if you want more than OE or VM but don't want to shell out the bucks
for Outlook, there are a variety of email clients that should do the trick.

Be aware - most email providers will support OE, VM and Outlook, but may
not be up to speed on the other world of clients.

Mozilla - from the Mozilla Project that brought you FireFox, comes
ThunderBird. With most of the same features of Outlook, it lacks an
integrated calendar in Version 2.x, but with Version 3 due out by the end
of the year, it will interface directly with Lightening, another Mozilla
project. Price - Free. ([www.mozilla.org] www.mozilla.org)

Also from Mozilla is the new SeaMonkey, an integrated browser, email
client and HTML editor (why I don't know).. I have not played with
SeaMonkey yet, but have it downloaded and waiting on my test machine.
Price - Free. ([www.mozilla.org] www.mozilla.org)

Incredimail Xe is another popular program that is loaded with whimsical
features, backgrounds, sound, emoticons, animations and 3D effects. I'm
not a big fan of this for business use as I tend to be suspicious of mail
that has smiley faces or Winnie-the-Pooh backgrounds. Price is free and
will do the job, just don't send me the cutesie stuff.
([www.incredimail.com] www.incredimail.com) Free for the price of
answering 3 questions on installation.

I thought Eudora would have died a quite death, but they cling to live.
Qualcomm continues to release new and updated versions, while at the same
time working on the Lightening project at Mozilla. Huh? I don't know why.
There is an ad supported free version and a $50 paid for version.
([www.eudora.com] www.eudora.com)

Pegasus Mail was one of the first free mail programs I worked with and it
is extremely popular in Europe. David Harris continues to develop this
non-flashy, but lightening fast email reader. One great feature about
Pegasus for the single computer family is the ability to create separate
mail profiles for each user without having to create a system user profile.
This program has been around since 1991 - WOW! ([www.pmail.com]
www.pmail.com)

In the Stupid Name Department we have The Bat. For my taste the interface
needs cleaning up and the $35 home version requires too many "add-in"
products to maintain functionality (such as spell checking!). Strange
name, even stranger software. (www - nah! You shouldn't use this product)

For our Apple friends, there are versions of Eudora and Thunderbird for
the MacOS.

The Mac version of the Opera browser has an email client built in. One of
the best features of Opera Mail is the "access points". Each message show
up in logical places - under the sender, in smart folders, and searches.

So if you are looking to move from the Microsoft clutches, there are a lot
of choices out there to replace your email client.

If all else fails, setup a free gmail account and enable POP mail (under
settings) Download a couple of the above programs to test with it. Gmail
supports POP standards in most clients. Set your email type to POP. the
incoming mail server to pop.gmail.com, outgoing server to smtp.gmail.com,
username is your full gmail address and password.

Find the Settings page (different for all programs) and choose the
options that require authentication on the outgoing server. Provide the
same user name as the incoming server or select an option to use the same
credential. Somewhere you should be able to change the ports for the
incoming server to 995 and outgoing server to 465. Both require SSL
encryption.Sounds confusing, but after the first few times it becomes old
hat. In the event of a problem, go to www.google.com and in the search
box, type gmail and the name of the program you are configuring.

Happy Processing!

Email 101 - Part A

2008-08-20T07:13:00.000-04:00

Email 101 - Part A

If we kept track of all the support calls we receive and broke them down
into categories, e-mail questions would top the list. Why? Because it is
confusing when you don’t work with it everyday. So for a while, we are
going to babble about how email works.

(As always, if you are a techie geek or Microsoft Certified in Exchange,
stop reading now. You should already know this and I get tired of you
calling me to point out nit-picky details that I omit.)

For most users, there are 3 components to an email system – the
receiving server, the sending server and the client software.

For most client software there are 4 pieces of information you need to
know to make a client based system work – account name (usually your
email address), password (and all email has one), incoming server and
outgoing server.

But let’s step back and look at some types of email systems. I break
them into the three most common you will encounter

POP based email – POP stands for Post Office Protocol, if you have a
number, like 3, this simply indicates the standards version of the server.
SO POP3 would just be version 3 of Post Office Protocol.

Exchange – this is a Microsoft product and relatively expensive. Of
late, many hosts are offering a hosted exchange server account instead of a
POP account. These cost 4x the cost of a POP account and are generally
harder to setup. The Exchange Server is our choice for a 50+ email account
system. It becomes cost effective at that point.

Web based email services. Most notably AOL, Hotmail (now LiveMail) and
Gmail. These systems use a web browser (Internet Explorer, Firefox,
Safari) to read, send and manage mail.

(Note for the tech-heads – yes, I know I left out IMAP, but it is
unlikely that the readers of this will encounter this type of system).

Is one better than the other? Yes and no! They all have their purpose.

For example, with a web-based system, there is virtually no setup
involved. Go to www.gmail.com, click the Sign Me Up option, provide your
desired email name and password and if it is available, your account will
be ready in a matter of minutes. You can access it from any computer
attached to the internet. On the down side, there is not a lot of frills
with gmail. You can receive, read and send mail. Organization of email is
not pretty with gmail. Neither is the address book function. But, hey,
it’s free so who’s complaining.

Exchange servers are great, especially for setup. Since most of these are
inside companies, once a user is created, the email is created. Tell the
client (more about clients in a moment) who you are and your mail is there.
Exchange servers can also have a web-viewer component. Not in the office?
Just use a web browser and you are there – contacts and all. Exchange
can also act as a POP server. So why doesn’t everyone use Exchange.
Cost – it ain’t cheap.

So that brings us to the POP servers. The most popular out there and used
by the majority of our clients. To read mail you must setup a “client”
. Some examples of clients are Outlook, Outlook Express, Vista Mail,
Eudora, Thunderbird – and the list goes on. Most POP servers also have a
web browser interface as well. But be aware, unless you setup you client
correctly, you won’t see any mail on the browser.

OK – I have babbled long enough. Next week – we’ll take a look at
some client options.

Happy Processing!

Silverlight from Microsoft

2008-05-13T08:11:00.000-04:00

Welcome to another edition of Connections in Technology. A recent health problem took me out of commission for a while, but I am back and ready to roll.

What is Silverlight?

Silverlight is a new multi-browser, multi-platform implementation of the .NET Framework from Microsoft for building and delivering high quality media experiences and Rich Interactive Applications for the web. As a plug-in, it runs in all popular browsers, including Microsoft Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, Apple Safari, and Opera. Silverlight aims to compete with Adobe Flash and the presentation components of Ajax. It also competes with Sun Microsystems' JavaFX,which was launched a few days after Silverlight.

So now that we have a little idea about what Silverlight is, what is
it actually going to do for me.

First of all prepare to see some of the best quality videos you have seen in your life, all embedded in highly graphical websites. The same technology that powers BluRay and HD DVD, powers Silverlight.

We will finally see web applications that work on any browser, and on any operating system. At release, Silverlight will work with Mac as well as Windows! Future support has also already promised support for Linux!.

Holdon now – you may not like this one. Copy protection for media! Have you noticed how easy it is to download YouTube videos to your computer, and save them for later viewing? Silverlight will have the features enabling content providers complete control over their media content! Streaming television will now be possible without the executives ofNBC, CBS and ABC worrying about you stealing their television shows.

And finally, speed, speed, speed! There is a dramatic improvement in speed for AJAX-enabled websites that use Silverlight.

How do I get Silverlight?

Silverlight is being deployed as part of the Microsoft Automatic Update, so if you have been using the Windows update features, it is already there. You can also get it by visiting a website that is using Silverlight. You will be prompted to install the program before the graphics will work.

Where can I see Silverlight?

You can start with the NBC’s coverage of the Olympics. 2,200 hours of high quality video in Silverlight.

The first time I saw Silverlight in action was while making some camping reservations through ReserveUSA.com. They have campground maps that require Silverlight.

AOL has presented their new AOLMail based on Silverlight. Blazingly fast, but not rolled out for public use yet.

By the end of the year look to see more sites adopting Silverlight.

Next up is a 3 part series on E-Mail and how it actually works.

Copyright 2008

Free/Open Source Software

2008-01-02T07:19:00.000-05:00

Software cost so much more than hardware!!! There must be an
alternative.

There is - it's called FOSS - Free/Open Source Software.

There are lots of rules and requirements for a software to fall under
either the Free or Open Source definitions, but we will try to give you
some options to commercially avaialabe software.

FOSS – Free/Open Source Software

When I sit down to think about what topics might be of interest to the
readership. As technology geeks, we often banter around acronyms and words
that we think everyone should understand. Unfortunately, this is not the
case. “Open Source” is one of these terms that has invaded our
language, but is often understood.

While the definitions of the “Free” and “Open Source” are
relatively complex and highly specialized, I’m going to try and bring it
down to a usable level.

Overall, FOSS is a theory put into practice and refers to a method of
software development and distribution that, at its foremost, requires that
the source code be available and the use of the software not be restricted.
So the Free part is not related to pricing, but free from restrictions.
Yeah, makes a lot of sense.

Let’s try by example!

LINUX – a word that has been in the news – not just the tech news.
Linux is the ultimate in open source software. Begun as a single
programmer project, this operating system has gained a foothold in both
servers (many internet websites sit on a LINUX server), and desktops. My
favorite is the Ubuntu distribution ([http://www.ubuntu.com/]
www.ubuntu.com) . I have a couple older (9 years old to be precise)
laptops that don’t really have the power to run windows XP, so I have
Ubuntu installed and only use them for some basic stuff like browsing and
creating documents.

FireFox ([http://www.mozilla.org/] www.mozilla.org) is a popular browser
that can run circles around Internet Explorer and has about a gazillion
add-on products called extensions. With remarkably few exceptions, any
site that Internet Explorer can display, so can Firefox. Version 3 is in
Alpha (maybe beta) testing right now and has a few problems, but the
worldwide community of developers will work them out quickly.

Used to Outlook, but can’t afford the Microsoft prices? Try Thunderbird
from the Mozilla project. While lacking a calendar function, then add
Lightening. Firefox, Thunderbird and Lightening are all free and part of
the Mozilla Toolkit project ([http://www.mozilla.org/] www.mozilla.org) .

What about letters and spreadsheets? Presentations and databases?
Let’s look to OpenOffice.org for a solution ([http://www.openoffice.org/]
www.openoffice.org) . While release 2.4 is on the horizon for March 2008,
the current release is stable and will do most of the work the average user
needs.

Does the price of Photoshop make you quiver? Maybe you should check out
GIMP ([http://www.gimp.org/] www.gimp.org) on the open source world.
I’ll admit that this one is over my head, but then again so is Microsoft
Paint.

Music editing your thing? Audacity
([http://www.audacity.sourceforge.net/] www.audacity.sourceforge.net) helps
me out by recording my church sermon every week, converting it to MP3 and
posted on our website. I’ve got the basics down, but some of my friends
use it for more professional level recordings. While it probably won’t
knock off leader, ProTools, its price is nice.

Need a multitasking multimedia player – VLC Media Player has come in
handy when I have had a strange format to play. ([http://www.videolan.org/]
www.videolan.org). Kino is useful for video editing, though the
professional levels don’t have much to worry about.
([http://www.kinodv.org/] www.kinodv.org) .

If you have to transfer large files to an FTP (File Transport Protocol),
my preference is FileZilla ([http://www.filezilla-project.org/]
www.filezilla-project.org). I don’t make up the names, just use the
software.

I’m launching a new website – no don’t worry, it is a Cub Scout
leader discussion board. I chose an open source discussion board
software called MyBB ([http://www.mybboard.net/] www.mybboard.net). I had
it installed and running in about an hour (after I read the directions of
course).

So to conclude, there is lots of software out there that competes quite
nicely with commercial software at a fraction of the price – oftentimes
FREE. If you want to know more about open source projects, visit
[http://www.sourceforge.net/] www.sourceforge.net as this is the largest
repository of projects. Be forwarned – it’s a big site. I also use
[http://www.download.com/] www.download.com , a service of Cnet.com to
locate software.

Now if anyone can find a decent open source amortization program to keep the CPA’s happy. Commercially available tValue still sets the standard.

This ain’t your Mama’s Sass!

2007-12-19T04:08:00.000-05:00

No indeed, this is SaaS – better known as Software as a Service. If I
had to pick one technology that you will be beleaguered with in 2008, it
would be SaaS.

Software as a Service

So exactly what is SaaS (Software as a Service)? Here’s what I love
about being in the technology world! Answer – It depends on who you
ask.

Some narrowly define SaaS as a delivery system of software applications,
utilizing network (this network being the Internet) technologies and PC
based browsers to execute code remotely managed by a third party.

OK – I can go with that, but I think of it a little more broadly,
specifically in what impact it has on individuals and businesses.

So I define SaaS as remotely managed applications that end users access by
various technologies, eliminating an high investment in technology and
software license fees.

Hmmm! Not too much different. So let’s go by example of different
technologies to achieve the same means. For the sake of privacy, I
won’t use client names. Oh, did I forgot these are real examples
directly from clients I work with.

A franchisee of quality fast food stores uses Google Docs at each of their
locations (more than 25) to track employee payroll hours on a Google
Spreadsheet which can be accessed by the Payroll department at the
corporate headquarters. Google Docs are used by the store managers to
correspond with customers who have filed a “comment card” with the
corporate offices. Cost – Free! What did they save – about $200 per
store by not licensing Microsoft Office.

The dental world has never topped the list of the technically advanced,
but we have a client who pays a monthly fee to use Remote Desktop (a
feature built into the windows operating system) to access a server in
Texas to run their Patient Management System (scheduling, billing, etc).
We had no investment in server hardware or software license when we
converted to the new system. When they opened up a new office 60 miles
away, we really saw the benefits by not having to connect the stores by a
high cost telephone service or use expensive routers to connect the
offices. We simply installed DSL and setup the computers to access the
system in Texas.

When the VP of Sales for a manufacturer of plastic packaging material (45
sales reps in US alone) wanted better coordination and information from all
reps, we shunned ACT! and other competing CRM (Customer Relationship
Management) and turned instead to SalesForce.com. This web-based service
allowed them to reorganize the sales structure and move the marketing
operation to a central department that can target customers with pinpoint
accuracy.
A car dealership is generally faced with installing a very costly and
complicated system to manage everything from car inventory, financing,
service and parts, but thanks to ADP Dealer Services, they now have the
option of forgoing the expensive equipment (and associated management,
updates and backups) in favor of a VPN (Virtual Private Network) operation.
A big router in the dealership will talk to another big router in Atlanta
via a high speed telephone line, making it look like the system is actually
installed in the dealership. In addition to the savings in server /
peripheral hardware, the dealership also gets to keep its floor space for
business activity.

Janitorial services are not among the glamour jobs. It also entails
managing a workforce that doesn’t come to “the office” to work. So
why not turn to a SaaS that handles scheduling and job tracking? That’s
exactly what we did. For about $120 per month, management can establish
schedules, assign staff for routine and special projects AND track customer
satisfaction through a web portal. Customers can request special treatment
or comment on problems (and occasionally compliment staff) directly through
the web. Employees “clock in” through the portal, request supplies,
schedule vacations and can complete “comment cards” on their jobs
(uncooperative staff at clients, problems with employees, etc…)

Too much SPAM mail arriving at your inbox? Pay a third party to squash
it. That’s what 80% of our clients do with Postini filtering service.
Think it is too expensive? How much does it cost you for your employees to
spend time poring through email messages to delete the spam and locate the
real stuff.

We have a client that “forgets” to change the tape in their server
each morning because they hit the ground running (and don’t stop until
they run to the car at 6:00pm). Solution – Evault backup services. Now
I sleep peacefully that in the event of a crash, our data is safely tucked
away in Utah.

OK, so you’ve got clients using this stuff. But what about individuals
without a business?

How about planning that family gathering? [http://www.evite.com/]
www.evite.com . File expense reports regularly? How about
[http://www.expensepoint.com/] www.expensepoint.com for $1.50 per month?
Do you backup your computer – EVER? Try [http://www.carbonite.com/]
www.carbonite.com . $50 per year. Do you collect comic books
([http://www.stashmycomics.com/] www.stashmycomics.com) or Star Wars Action
figures ([http://www.cargobay.starwars.com/] www.cargobay.starwars.com) .
Wine aficionado (as opposed to wino) ? Maybe you should take a gander at
[http://www.corkd.com/] www.corkd.com to manage your collection and
associate with other enthusiasts.

So – It’s here, it’s now, it’s getting bigger. Don’t believe me
– watch the Windows Live products rolling out of Redmond. Write,
OneCare, Mail, Photo Gallery, Events, Spaces and the list goes on. Where
Microsoft goes, others will follow!

Skype Hype

2007-12-12T07:08:00.000-05:00

Skype Hype!

No, don't misunderstand - I am a Skype user and supporter. Is this the
way of future communications? I don't think so, I think it is NOW
technology

VoIP - stands for Voice over Internet Protocol, which simply means using
the internet's packet switched network instead of traditional public
switched telephone networks.

Whoa, Steve, a little too technical there. OK, it means using your
computer instead of AT&T (formerly BellSouth) to make telephone calls.

You may have heard of Vonage - after all, they advertise the heck out of
their $24.95 a month service. Buy a Vonage router, hook it to your
internet service and add any phone and you are good to go. I used this
service for 3 years at our house as the "teenager line" to keep my young
yacker off the primary line. It is great service and I hope that Vonage
survives it's financial and legal woes.

But then along came Skype. This CAN be a free service if you want to use
your computer to make voice and video calls to other Skype users. Yup -
absolutely free when used this way. OK, you do have to buy at least a
headset or web camera. But the service is free.

Simply go to www.skype.com and download. Locate your friends and talk for
hours. That's all there is to it.

But is it really? Nooooo! There can be much more.

kype pricing has gotten confusing since their acquisition by E-Bay in
2005.

I purchased a service called SkypeOut Unlimited Calling that allows me to
call any phone number in the US and Canada without a fee. This cost me
about $30 USD (though it was billed in Euros). I don't believe they offer
this specific service anymore.

I also have a SkypeIn account. This looks like a normal phone number and
allows callers to dial this number and my computer will ring. Since cell
phone service is iffy in my office, I often call forward my cell number to
my SkypeIn number, so you may have talked to me through my computer. I'll
go out on a limb here and publish that number - 864-641-1282. Now, don't
all of the 2388 recipients of this newsletter call at once. Remember, that
I am seldom at my office. This costs me $20 per year (USD)

Skype Voicemail - theoretically, if I don't answer my call, it goes to
voicemail, which is an additional $20 annually. I'm not sure why, but if
you Skype-to-Skype call me, it works, If you call my SkypeIn number, it
doesn't answer.

Skype Pro - this relatively new feature is $36 for a year and combines
several of Skypes features under a single service. I just this week signed
up for it,so we'll see how it goes.

So what do I use Skype for?

-

Local outbound phone calling when my primary office lines are in use

-

Cell phone forwarding to make up for the lack of cell towers in Greater
Fountain Inn

-

Video calls to my daughter at college in Vermont. For those of you who
worship with me, remember the call to worship video broadcast from her dorm
room - that was a Skype video call)

-

Conference calls with Germany, Czechoslovakia and China (though

-

China has recently banned some of Skype’s services). They are free, but
you gotta get out of your PJ's for the video ones.

-

SMS (short message service - you probably call this Text Messaging) allows
Skype clients to contact me directly when I am online or leave messages
about work that needs to be done)

Toys that go with Skype include USB based phone adaptors, fancy headsets
and web cams. I have a pretty nice Plantronics Headset, the disadvantage
being that it uses the Headset/Microphone jacks on my audio card, so I had
to get a splitter to use the speakers on my computer. Inconvenient, but it
works. I also have a SkyTone adapter. This is supposed to allow me use a
regular telephone (hmmm, sound like Vonage) attached to this device which
is attached to my computer via a USB connection and use either Skype or my
regular land based service. I give it a 4 out of 10 my usefulness scale.
Hard to configure and reliability is pretty bad. I do like my Logitech
webcam. While on the high end at $139 for the consumer products, it
provides some nice features like light enhancing technology and a quality
microphone (Ok, no worse than a decent speakerphone).

What I would like to find is a decent cordless phone that has a base
station plugged through my USB ports and decent handset that allows me to
wander around the office and send/receive Skype calls. Don't muddy the
water by giving me the option for using it on PSTN. And I don't want to
spend $150 for it either,

What I don't like!

You thought I wouldn't get to this, didn't you? There are a couple things
I don't like about Skype. First is their website. Very confusing on
product descriptions and features.

There is also no way to "call" Skype. Fill out the form on the website
and wait.....and wait.....and wait.....

When you order a product or service, they are not exactly Speedy Gonzales
in getting the information back to you as "delivered" - which means it
should be working.

But overall, I can't complain about the roughly $100 I spend a year with
them. That's about the same as my monthly AT&T (formerly BellSouth) bill.

Up for Auction - Item 700mhz

2007-12-05T01:06:00.001-05:00

Item 700

Our next item up for auction is the 700mhz spectrum. This beachfront
property has lovingly been used by major broadcast stations for over the
air analog programming. Who’ll start the bidding at $4 billion?

Whoa, now! This isn’t your ordinary E-Bay auction.

So why should you care? There are a couple of reasons.

First, this auction marks the start of the demise of analog broadcast
television. You have probably been paying a little attention because
effective February 2009, there will be no more analog broadcast of
television programming. It must all be move to a digital broadcast.
(Note: most of the major network programming is already broadcast digitally
as well as analog.) No don’t rush out and buy a new television just yet.
There is still plenty of time.

Also, this could be the beginning of a third broadband provider to compete
with the cable companies and telco’s providing DSL broadband services.

The spectrum is not limited to data services. It could also expand
wireless voice services.

Part of the spectrum, about 20mhz will be set aside for a nationwide
public safety voice and data network. In response to the problems of 9/11
with different organizations on incompatible systems, Congress set aside a
10mhz range and expect another 10mhz to be gifted to the cause.

But this gets really complicated. What is for sale is really just 62mhz
of the spectrum. This is broken into 5 “blocks” labeled A-E. Each
block is broken down into several smaller subunits. Bidders can bid on one
or multiple blocks/sub-blocks.

In order to bid, you had to file with the FCC by Monday, December 3^rd. A
second filing deadline is December 28^th for folks who file incomplete or
inaccurate information. The FCC will not announce the bidders until the
December 28^th deadline has passed.

But here is what we know.

Google has committed to a $4.6 BILLON dollar attempt at winning the
spectrum. And while Google has the available assets, they pale in the
competition of AT&T, another confirmed bidder. Verizon Wireless is also on
the list. Frontline Wireless, LLC is on the short list as are low-cost
wireless providers MetroPCS Communications Inc. and Leap Wireless
International Inc. The only cable company on the list so far is Cox
Communications (3^rd largest in US and privately owned).

Watching from the sidelines will be Comcast and Time Warner in the cable
world. Satellite providers DirecTV and EchoStar will probably not bid, nor
will push-to-talk giant Nextel.

Bidding starts on January 24^th and expected to last several weeks. Net
revenue to the FCC/Government is expected to reach $11 billion and go as
high as $15 billion.

Going, going, gone!

Black Friday / Cyber Monday

2007-11-28T09:05:00.000-05:00

What time did you get up on the "shopping day of the year" also known as
Black Friday (the term black derives from the theory that retailers would
be "in the black" after the shopping was done for the day)? Or were you
one of the ones that waited to waste some quality work time on Monday by
cyber-shopping?

If you know me at all, you know that I absolutely love gadgets and I do
almost all of my shopping online. After all, what can beat the excitement
of the UPS guy bringing my latest order from www.hanes.com (I'll let you
think about that one for a little while)? There are the occasional visits
to Victoria's Secret, but that's a story for another day.

So on the biggest shopping day of November (the biggest of the year is the
Saturday before Christmas Day), I visited only one retailer - Home Depot -
and that was to pick-up some supplies to replace the toilet in my office.

After the work was done, I had some time to browse my favorite websites to
see about some cool electronic gadgets and gizmos for my Christmas list.

Digital Picture Frames (Prices have dropped as low as $49 as a loss-leader
to $250 for the big'uns)

One of my favorites gizmos that have come a long way in just under 2 years
is the digital photo frame. Now what grandmother wouldn't appreciate a
constantly changing frame with pictures of little Susie and Billy? And it
would look really cool at the assisted living center. The Philips family
is one of my favs (http://www.photoframe.philips.com) with Pandigital a
close second (http://www.pandigital.net). Many others have hit the market
in the past year including newcomer TAO (http://www.taoelectronics.com).
All have a broad range of sizes and prices. Some things to consider:
Screen Size

As with monitors the screen size of a digital picture frame is measured in
inches diagonally from corner to corner. It should be the size of the
visible display and not include the surrounding frame. 3.5" is very small,
while the 12" may be a little overbearing.
Resolution

The resolution is the number of pixels that a digital photo frame can
display. The higher the resolution the crisper the image, higher
resolutions look better on larger screen sizes. Resolutions should be
measured in pixels and expressed as nnn X nnn.
Aspect Ratio

Aspect ratio is the displayed width divided by its height, they normally
come in 4:3 or wide-screen. Pictures and photographs can be cropped to fit
most digital photo frames.
Frame Style

A lot of the time your digital picture frame will be turned off so you
want to ensure that the frame itself looks cool even when it isn’t
displaying a photograph. For me, I like the old fashion wood (or faux
wood) look.
Remote Control

The remote control enables you to change the settings on a digital picture
frame from the comfort of the sofa, like with a television remote control.
Keep in mind that the screen is a little small to see from way across the
room.
Wi-Fi

With a wi-fi picture frame you are able send pictures to the frame
wirelessly. They make it easy to display an ever changing collection of
pictures either from your home PC or a shared collection (like a Flickr
account). Some wireless frames will also enable you to email photographs
directly to the frame even from your cell phone. You will need to have
access to a Wi-Fi access point to make use of this. This adds big bucks
and would be the last feature I would add.
Memory Cards

Adding a digital memory card to a photo frame increases the number of
photographs it can display. If you buy a digital picture frame that accepts
the same memory card as your digital camera you will be able to swap the
card between the two. Beware if you use an older style Sony camera as Sony
has always walked to a different beat with their memory cards.
Internal Memory

Some frames come with internal memory; this means the frame can store the
pictures without always needing the memory card inserted.
Sound

Some picture frames are used purely for displaying images whilst others
incorporate speakers which let them play music or other sounds. This won't
compete with your Bose speakers, but a little background music is nice.
Plays Video

As well as showing your photographs many of the newer digital picture
frames are also capable of playing video. My next to last feature to add.
Optional Batteries

All the digital picture frames need to be connected to an external power
supply. However some of them have rechargeable batteries so once charged
they can be hung on the wall without trailing wires (though they will need
plugging in again when recharging.)

LP to CD Recorders

For you folks too young to know what LP is, it stands for Long Play and
are those big, black vinyl records from the pre-Cassette, pre-8 Track and
pre-CD era. I have a pretty good collection of records, including the
entire John Denver collection. We even have a 22 year old – working -
turntable to play them on. Problem is that I can't take them along with
me. Oh, I could use some of my fancy recording and video equipment to copy
from album to PC and PC to CD, but who has the time. Not me! Give me the
Crosley Songwriter CR248 (http://www.crosleyradio.com). Put on a
record/cassette, slip a blank CD-R in the drive and push a button. Turn
the record over (yes, we recorded on both sides back then) and finish the
job. And the nostalgic look of the Crosley adds a touch of the old-world
sophistication to your family room. (For those who prefer a more modern
name, the Teac GF-350 is a pretty good competitor to Crosley)

Like the Boy Scout Motto – Be Prepared. Prices on these puppies run
$250 - $400.

Weather Stations ($40 - $180) (You know you are married to a weather
addict when your spouse can name all the people on The Weather Channel.)
Weather stations have replaced the old, red thermometer hanging outside
the kitchen window at Granny's house. But they are very cool.
Leading my favorites is the Oregon Scientific Model: WMR-968
(http://www2.oregonscientific.com). This little jewel can monitor weather
and environmental conditions in and outside of your home or office without
a single cable.
The wireless outdoor sensors operate on solar power (cool, no batteries)
for simple installation. It has sensors monitoring: temperature, humidity,
barometric pressure, wind speed and direction, and rainfall. And you can
add up to three additional sensors. The 7"wide base station screen is
great for your desk, bedside table or on the wall under the kitchen
cabinets. The optional PC link and software package allows you to view
your weather station data on your personal computer. Not exactly cheap at
around $180.

For the beginner or for the basic weather info, try the La Crosse
Technology WS-7394U-SAL Wireless Weather Station
(http://www.lacrossetechnology.com). It monitors outdoor temperature with a
wireless remote sensor as well as displaying indoor temperature and
humidity, barometric pressure with pressure history, forecast icon and
atomic time. The street price is around $40. Its biggest drawback is the
small screen.

Toothbrush?

My personal favorite new product of the year - the Oral-B Triumph with
Smartguide (http://[http://www.oral-b.com/] www.oral-b.com) is for the oral
hygiene fanatic in your household. At $140, this toothbrush does it all.
The rotating brush head transmits information to a small display—the
Smartguide—showing how long you've been brushing, which of four modes
you're in (for example, a softer mode for sensitive teeth or a feverish
scrub for stain removal), and, most important, whether you're brushing too
hard. How do it work, you ask? BlueTooth technology. And absolutely no
pun intended here.
On the otherwise monochromatic display, a red warning icon pops up when
the head senses too much pressure. There's something mesmerizing—even
rewarding—about intently watching that little Smartguide screen bearing
down on your molars 'til you see red, backing off, then forcing the issue
again. There's even a happy face that gets happier the longer you brush,
inspiring total user obedience.
The Smartguide, which you can mount on a wall or carry around as you pace

the halls brushing, recognizes at least four different heads, just in case
you want to share the brush-plus-display with your family, roommates or
other brushing enthusiasts.
OK, back to work now.

Spyware 101

2007-11-21T11:01:00.000-05:00

Spyware 101

Spyware is “any software, installed on a computer, with or without the
user’s consent, that monitors, collects and transmits data and activities
to an unknown party.”

Spyware – James Bond Beware

It used to be that the world of spies was limited to the CIA, FBI, MI5 and
Interpol, but in today’s shrinking technology world, spying has taken on
a new face – and it is not as pretty as 007!

Perhaps the biggest threat to computer systems – both in the home and in
the workplace – are small programs called Spyware. The formal definition
to the left is a little ambiguous, so let’s bring it down to the real
world.

Indications that you have spyware installed on your computer:

-Popup ads keep appearing, either at random or when you open your browser (software used to browse the internet – Internet Explorer being the most popular one.)

-System runs slow and I mean really slow

-Your home page is suddenly changed to an unfamiliar and unwanted page

-Web searches return suspicious web links

How do I get spyware on my computer?

It usually is a result of something you do. You didn’t mean to do it or
you didn’t understand the full effects of what you did, but none the
less, you took some action.

- Piggybacked software installation – you installed some
legitimate software and in addition to the desired program, some spyware
was installed as well. It was probably disclosed in the EULA (End User
License Agreement) – you know, that big block of legal mumble-jumble that
you click right through without reading. Most of the peer-to-peer sharing
networks install spyware as part of their normal install. You probably
don’t recognize them as P2P but rather as their trade names of Kazaa,
Limewire, Morpheus, EDonkey.

- Drive-By Download – simply visiting a website causes a
software installation routine to run. Sometimes these are “stealth”
– they just install with no indicators, others actually pop-up a
legitimate looking installation dialog box. And when I say legitimate
looking, I mean they really look genuine.

- Browser add-ons – these promise to enhance your browsing
experience by adding toolbars, search assistants or an animated pal.
Common are CoolWebSearch and Bonzai Buddies. Browser Hijackers fall into
this category by gaining control of the function that sets the default home
page. These are particularly nasty little buggers.

- False Spyware Threats – pop-up windows that look legitimate,
but are really “phishing” messages. Interestingly, regardless of which
button you choose – OK or Cancel, they both authorize the installation.

Is this legal?

Depends on who you ask! If you ask the people that create this stuff,
sure it is – after all you READ the EULA and agreed to the installation,
didn’t you?

- The Computer Fraud and Abuse Act prohibits unauthorized
software installations

- The Federal Trade Commission Act outlaws deceptive trade
practices of any kind.

- The Electronic Communications Privacy Act makes it unlawful for
companies to violate the security of the customers’ personal information

- Several states have enacted laws that explicitly ban spyware
(currently Utah and California)

What can I do if I get spyware on my computer?

Technology professionals generally agree that once infected the only real
thing to do is delete the operating system and start from scratch.

There are also several software solutions to help remove and protect your
system going forward. In the paid for variety:

- Webroot’s Spy Sweeper is a pretty good product in the $40
range ([http://www.webroot.com/] www.webroot.com)

- PC Tools Spyware Doctor is a close second
([http://www.pctools.com/] www.pctools.com)

In the free category:

- We like Grisoft’s free Antivirus / Antispyware combo
([http://free.grisoft.com/] http://free.grisoft.com)

- Lavasoft has the Ad-Aware SE product
([http://www.lavasoft.com/] www.lavasoft.com)

- Spybot Search and Destroy ([http://www.safer-networking.org/]
www.safer-networking.org)

- Microsoft Defender is located at
([http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx]
http://www.microsoft.com/athome/security/spyware/software/default.mspx)

Security suites from the major antivirus vendors are now available, but
beware, they are generally memory hogs and become rulers of your system,
they write the rules and you follow them (NOTE: These are personal use
products, not suitable for business use)

- Norton 360 –
[http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/overview.jsp?pcid=os&pvid=n3601]
http://www.symantec.com/norton/products/overview.jsp?pcid=os&pvid=n3601

- McAfee Internet Security Suite - [http://us.mcafee.com/]
http://us.mcafee.com/

Common Spyware

- All free music sharing services – Kazaa, Limewire, Morpheus

- Most Browser Toolbars – WhenUSearch, WebSearch, CoolWebSearch

- Online Gaming controllers – Wildtangent

- Browser Helpers – Bonzi Buddy, Internet Optimizer (also known
as DyFuCa)

- Email Add Ons – Comet Cursers

- Screen Savers – most free screensavers at a minimum cause
unwanted pop up advertising. Freeze.com is one of the better known ad
supported “freeware”

- Other annoyances – WeatherBug, Zango (formerly 180 Solutions
and particularly nasty)

The list goes on and on.

Prevent it before it happens

Use common sense – Gramma always said that if it appears too good to be
true it probably is. Dr. Arnold, my Econ professor in college use the
mantra – “There’s no such thing as a free lunch”.

- If something pops up on your computer that looks suspicious,
research it before you click it.

- Use the Red X to exit a box – don’t click OK or Cancel
(Decline, etc…)

- Get Mozilla Firefox or Opera instead of Internet Explorer.
While all are subject to some vulnerability, the smaller user base of
alternate browsers makes them less attractive to spyware purveyors.

- Be cautious when installing software from unknown sources

This went extremely long, but I hope that I have at least hit the surface
of the effects of spyware on you computer system.

Speed up your computer - DiskCleanup

2007-11-14T06:48:00.001-05:00

My computer keeps slowing down!

What you can do about it?

For our first newsletter, we opted to address an issue that we hear daily. “My computer used to run great, but lately it has been slowing down”.

Think of your computer like the backseat of my car. For those who have ridden with me, you know what I mean. Sunday nights I generally clear out the back of my car (Monday is trash day at the office), so Monday morning there’s nothing back there. As the week progresses, “stuff” seems to accumulate back there – 4 breakfast visits to Jack-In-The-Box, 2 lunches at MickeyD’s, several coffee cups from Brickhouse Coffee, the hard drives from a client that need to be destroyed, 2 old monitors that we replaced, some empty printer cartridges that need to be returned – you get the picture. If I go looking for something, it gets harder and harder to sort through the clutter to get to the desired stuff.

So it goes with your computer – the more you do, the more “clutter” accumulates. Web pages that save little pictures to your hard drive, programs that use temporary files and then don’t delete them, downloaded programs that never get deleted, the recycle bin and offline web pages are just some of the culprits that clutter the drive.

But fear not! Microsoft has a built in tool that will help you out. It is called Disk Cleanup and is located in the Accessories | System Tools folder off your Start | Programs menu.

BUT – there is a problem. If you attempt to run this prior to applying a patch, you will grow old waiting for it to complete.

But fear not! There is a quick fix available by browsing to:

http://www.kellys-korner-xp.com/xp_tweaks.htm

Now scroll down until you see the number 48 on the left of your screen. Now move over to the right and click directly on the words Disk Cleanup. This will import / change a registry entry on your computer to allow the disk cleanup program to run properly. Your operating system and security software will determine what happens next. You should accept, say yes, allow, click OK or whatever your system wants to allow the installation of the patch.

Once the patch has been applied, run the disk cleanup routine (Start |Programs | Accessories | System Tools | Disk Cleanup). Again, depending on your operating system, a couple of things will happen. The program may launch directly into a scanning routine or it may ask you which drive to scan. Generally, it will be the C: drive. This doesn’t work on CDs, DVDs, Floppy disks, Zip Disks or memory drives.

Regardless, the next thing you will see is the analysis box with a listing of several categories followed by the amount of wasted space you have on your drive. You will also see little check boxes as the first column. I would put a check in all the boxes EXCEPT the one that says Office Setup Files.

Notice the “Total amount of disk space you gain” number. If this is over 100,000 (that’s 100mb), you definitely need to clean that drive up. Yikes!

How often should you run this? I do it weekly, usually when I am on hold waiting for a tech support agent from some company.

Will this hurt my computer? Of the hundreds of times I have run this I have never seen damage or loss of data due to this routine.

Does it work on a MAC? No, MAC’s behave themselves quite nicely as does Linux and doesn’t need quite as much maintenance.

If you have a question or topic you would like to see covered, please let me know.